Fire at India’s Haldia Petrochemicals plant injures several people

A pre-dawn fire at Haldia Petrochemicals’ plant in Purba Medinipur district injured more than 20 people after flames erupted in a naphtha-carrying pipeline in Chiranjibpur, while the company said operations were not affected so far. Several of the injured were taken to hospitals, and some were described as critical.

The blaze was first spotted around 2.45 a.m., and local reports said it quickly spread through the area, at one point engulfing several houses. Thick smoke and large flames were visible at the site, and around 12 fire trucks were deployed as firefighters worked to bring the fire under control. The incident also disrupted train services after overhead railway equipment nearby was damaged, adding a transport complication to the emergency response.

West Bengal police said the cause remained under investigation, although one officer suspected leakage from the naphtha pipeline. Haldia Petrochemicals said preliminary information suggested the fire may have occurred near an unauthorized naphtha theft point, a sensitive detail in a site handling a highly flammable hydrocarbon mixture used in refining and petrochemical production. The company cautioned local communities against unauthorized access to petroleum products while the inquiry continued.

The tension between Haldia Petrochemicals’ assurances and the injuries on the ground is likely to draw attention to safety and security practices at one of eastern India’s major petrochemical assets. HPL operates a 700,000-ton-per-year ethylene cracker and is majority owned by The Chatterjee Group, making the plant a significant industrial facility in the region as well as a focal point for scrutiny after a fire that spread beyond the fence line and into nearby homes.