Fire tenders try to douse the flames after a fire breaks out at the Haldia Petrochemicals pipeline in Purba Medinipur on Tuesday. (ANI Video Grab)
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One person died, and more than 20 others were injured after a massive fire broke out in a naphtha-carrying pipeline of Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd (HPL) in West Bengal’s Purba Medinipur district in the early hours of Tuesday.Preliminary information suggested that the incident occurred due to pipe leakage, which spread further to the LPG line of the neighbouring IPPL (IndianOil Petronas Private Ltd), getting impacted; Haldia Petrochemicals said in a statement. IPPL is a joint venture of IndianOil and Petronas.The fire continued to burn in a small section of a naphtha-carrying pipeline owned by Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd even after 15 hours. A 38-year-old woman succumbed to her burn injuries at a hospital, according to police.Four others remained “very critical” and were undergoing treatment at hospitals, while 16 others were being treated at different medical facilities in the district, an officer said.The fire was first spotted around 2.45 am, the officer said, adding that it quickly spread, engulfing several houses in the Chiranjibpur area of Ward 13 under Haldia Municipality.“Naphtha is a highly combustible and extremely flammable hydrocarbon, and the company has consistently cautioned local communities against any unauthorised access to or handling of petroleum products due to the serious safety risk involved,” HPL said, adding the exact cause of the incident was currently under investigation in coordination with the relevant authorities.Published on June 30, 2026
