NEW DELHI: A fire broke out at an oil refinery in India’s western state of Rajasthan on Monday, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to inaugurate the facility.
The blaze erupted at the Pachpadra Refinery in Balotra during the afternoon, with initial reports indicating it started around 2 pm in the refinery’s Crude Distillation Unit (CDU), where crude oil is processed after being received through pipelines.
Authorities said employees activated emergency safety systems after the smoke was detected, and the area was evacuated.
An oil refinery in India's Rajasthan has caught fire just one day before it was scheduled to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi.
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Around 20 fire brigade vehicles were deployed to control the blaze.
India’s oil ministry later said the fire had been brought under control.
The ministry added that the incident occurred near the crude distillation unit of the HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Ltd complex.
A high alert was issued across the refinery premises as a precaution, given the presence of flammable materials.
Modi’s inauguration plans affected
PM Modi was scheduled to inaugurate the refinery on Tuesday and address a public gathering at a venue located about 800 metres from the affected unit.
Following the incident, the oil ministry said the inauguration had been postponed.
#Rajasthan: A major fire erupted at the HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Limited (HRRL) in Pachpadra refinery in Rajasthan's Balotra district, sending thick black smoke billowing into the sky. The incident occurred just a day before Narendra Modi was scheduled to dedicate the ₹79,450… pic.twitter.com/6ZCbYMDjOg
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Security arrangements had already been tightened ahead of the prime minister’s visit, with a large police contingent deployed in the area.
Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot expressed concern over the incident.
“I was deeply concerned to hear the news of the fire breaking out at the refinery in Pachpadra, Balotra,” he said in a post on X.
The Pachpadra facility is described by officials as India’s first greenfield integrated refinery-cum-petrochemical complex.
The project spans around 4,400 acres and integrates refining with petrochemical production. It has a petrochemical capacity of 2.4 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA).
Safety concerns amid recent incidents
Authorities said the cause of the fire and the extent of damage would be assessed once the situation was fully stabilised.
The incident comes amid a series of industrial accidents in India in recent weeks, raising concerns over safety compliance in high-risk sectors.
On April 14, a boiler explosion at a power plant operated by Vedanta Limited in Chhattisgarh’s Sakti district killed at least 17 people and injured several others, officials said.
Preliminary findings suggested overheating in a boiler tube may have triggered the blast, while other reports pointed to possible operational lapses and pressure build-up.
Experts have highlighted recurring gaps in safety systems and enforcement.
S.C. Sharma, a former director at the Directorate General Factory Advice Service and Labour Institutes (DGFASLI), said repeated incidents point to weaknesses in process safety mechanisms.
Industrial safety consultant P.K. Jain said ageing infrastructure and inconsistent compliance with inspection protocols remain key risks, stressing the need for regular audits and strict adherence to operational safeguards.
