Rajasthan Chief Secretary Reviews Refinery Fire Site, Assures Thorough Investigation

(MENAFN- IANS) Jaipur, April 20 (IANS) Rajasthan Chief Secretary V. Srinivas has termed the fire incident at the Pachpadra refinery as“extremely unfortunate”, while underlining that a detailed inquiry will be conducted by officials to ascertain the exact cause of the blaze and the sequence of events leading to it.

Speaking to the media upon his arrival in Jodhpur, he stated that the blaze broke out in the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU). However, he added that it is a matter of relief that the fire has now been completely brought under control by the emergency response teams.

He said that a detailed inquiry will be conducted to ascertain the exact cause of the incident and to identify any possible lapses, if any. According to him, the refinery's engineers and response teams acted swiftly and efficiently, bringing the situation under control in time and averting a major disaster of a much larger scale.

“I am coming from Pachpadra, and I have been informed that the fire is now under control. A detailed investigation will follow. The engineers have successfully brought the fire under control, and there has been no accident. Everyone is safe, and we are also waiting for further details,” he said while interacting with the reporters.

The Chief Secretary clarified that no casualties have been reported and all employees and personnel present at the facility are safe and accounted for. Srinivas further said that Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma is scheduled to visit the Pachpadra refinery on the morning of April 21.

He himself will also revisit the site, and more details about the incident are expected to emerge after further assessment and technical evaluation. For now, the situation remains stable, controlled, and under close monitoring by the concerned authorities.

Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot raised serious concerns over the incident. He stated that the fire, occurring less than 24 hours before the refinery's inauguration and the scheduled visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi (now postponed), raises critical questions regarding preparedness and safety protocols.

Gehlot questioned whether the inauguration date was finalised without adequate preparation, leading to the accident due to possible haste and administrative pressure.

He added that the incident has once again delayed the launch of this ambitious project, thereby prolonging the state's wait for its anticipated economic and industrial benefits. He called on both the Union and state governments to conduct a high-level investigation to determine the cause of the incident and fix accountability at all levels.

It needs to be mentioned here that a massive fire at the refinery plant located in Pachpadra created panic across parts of Rajasthan. Around 2 p.m. on Monday afternoon, an exchanger in the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU–VDU) section burst, triggering a sudden blaze that quickly escalated into a major fire.

The incident caused chaos inside the refinery premises, and employees and officials present at the site were immediately evacuated to safety as a precautionary measure. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported so far.

The accident occurred just a day before PM Modi was scheduled to inaugurate this much-awaited refinery project. Following the incident, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas announced that the inauguration programme has been postponed.

According to the Ministry, the fire has been brought under control and an inquiry has been ordered to prevent such incidents in the future and to ensure stricter compliance with safety norms.

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