A fire broke out late on Monday night, 2 November 2026, at the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) refinery in the Gajuwaka industrial area of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, sending flames and thick black smoke into the night sky and alarming residents in nearby areas.
The blaze broke out at around 10.15 pm local time in a pitch tank within the refinery’s Residue Upgradation Facility. The tank held Ruf Pitch Oil, a highly viscous intermediate material used to produce bitumen, which accounts for the dense smoke reported across neighbouring localities.
Refinery fire crews and city fire engines were dispatched immediately, with five specialised refinery fire tenders deployed. Firefighters used foam at two spots and took cooling measures, and crews brought the main fire under control, although thick smoke continued to rise from the pitch unit.
As a safety precaution, officials shut off the electrical power supply to the affected zone and evacuated all refinery personnel to safe locations, while police secured the surrounding perimeter.
Authorities confirmed that no injuries or deaths occurred, and full property damage will be assessed on Tuesday. Workers reported hearing a loud blast sound before the flames started, and while local rumours suggested an oil tank explosion, refinery sources indicated that a tank blast was unlikely. Investigations into the exact cause are ongoing, with preliminary reports pointing to a possible overhead electrical line defect.
Source: The New Indian Express
