A fire broke out at a refinery in India’s Rajasthan just 24 hours before its planned inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
According to initial reports, the blaze started in the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) section of the facility. Officials said there were no immediate reports of casualties, although thick black smoke was seen rising from the site.
Indian media reported that the refinery, located in Pachpadra in the Balotra district, is the country’s first greenfield integrated refinery-cum-petrochemical complex.
It is a joint venture between Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and the Government of Rajasthan.
The foundation stone for the project was first laid on 22 September 2013 by Sonia Gandhi, with an initial estimated cost of ₹37,230 crore.
Following a change in government, Prime Minister Modi relaunched the project on 16 January 2018, revising the cost to ₹43,129 crore.
Reports suggest the refinery is designed not only for fuel production but also for generating significant volumes of downstream petrochemical products.
