Gujarat IOCL refinery fire: 2 dead, one injured

Vadodara: The death toll from the fire at the Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) refinery in Vadodara has risen to two, with another person injured and undergoing treatment, reported PTI.

The deceased are Dhimant Makwana and Shailesh Makwana. The condition of the injured IOCL employee is stable, officials said.

The fire broke out on Monday afternoon following an explosion in a benzene storage tank and quickly spread to two neighbouring tanks, according to Inspector A B Mori of the Jawahar Nagar police station.

Efforts continued into the early hours of Tuesday to bring the blaze under control. The fire was eventually contained after extensive efforts, with fire tenders from nearby cities and towns assisting.

The explosion occurred at the IOCL refinery in Koyali, on the outskirts of Vadodara, igniting the blaze. IOCL confirmed in a statement that the fire began around 3.30 pm in a 1000 KL capacity benzene storage tank, and that the facility's water sprinkler system was activated to help control the flames.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) D J Chavda confirmed that the fire had spread to nearby storage tanks. Thick plumes of smoke were visible from several kilometres away, prompting the evacuation of workers from the site.

In response, IOCL suspended fluid circulation within the complex, following standard operating procedures. Other storage tanks were cooled to prevent the fire from spreading further, Vadodara Police Commissioner Narasimha Komar said.

All workers on shift were evacuated, and employees arriving for subsequent shifts were turned away for safety reasons. Police, district administration officials, and senior IOCL executives arrived at the site shortly after the incident.