Punjab: Fire at refinery near Bathinda sparks off panic, no casualty

Fire at Guru Gobind Oil Refinery at Phullokhari, 50km from Bathinda, due to leakage in oil pump set-up, brought under control

Thick smoke from the Guru Gobind Oil Refinery at Phullokhari, 50km from Bathinda, triggered panic among villagers in the area on Friday morning.

Thick smoke from the Guru Gobind Oil Refinery at Phullokhari, 50km from Bathinda, on Friday morning triggered panic among residents in the area. It was brought under control soon after. There was no casualty. (HT Photo)

The district administration said the smoke was caused by a fire incident at the refinery that was controlled in time.

A spokesperson of the refinery, which is a public-private partnership (PPP) venture of HPCL-Mittal Energy, said the fire was reported due to leakage in an oil pump set-up in the morning.

“The fire was controlled after a prompt operation. It did not reach other areas of the compound. The smoke is an after-effect of the fire-fighting the oil leakage in a set-up,” he said.

Talwandi Sabo sub-divisional magistrate Gagandeep Singh said no one sustained injuries and the situation was under control.

He said people should not panic due to the smoke that will subside in due time.

“The refinery has its own extensive fire control arrangements but additional fire tenders were despatched to the unit. The management of the refinery has conveyed that the fire was controlled soon after it was reported,” he added.