Tamil Nadu: Blast at IOCL's plant in Chennai, 1 dead
One person was killed and another injured in an explosion at the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL)'s plant at Tondiarpet in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on Wednesday. The incident reportedly occurred when workers were carrying out maintenance work for ethanol storage tanks. Five fire tenders were rushed to the spot, but the fire was already brought under control using the IOCL plant's fire-safety arrangements.
Watch: Visuals from IOCL plant explosion aftermath
1 worker died on spot, another critical
Officials said a worker, who is a welder, died on the spot, while another was severely injured with 60% burns. The latter has been admitted to the Government Stanley Hospital. The cause of the explosion has not been determined yet. However, officials revealed that the fire could be doused immediately as the leading oil corporation had necessary in-house arrangements and fire safety mechanisms.
Probe launched into the incident
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services has launched an investigation into the explosion and subsequent fire incident. However, according to initial assessment reports, a short circuit inside the IOCL lube plant might have triggered the blast. Per The Hindu, the incident took place when the workers were cleaning the sludge tank inside the facility.
Rs. 5 lakh ex gratia compensation announced
The IOCL has reportedly announced an ex gratia compensation of Rs. 5 lakh for the kin of the deceased, who had been a contract worker for about two decades. Separately, senior officials have visited and inspected the IOCL terminal. The Hindu said it has suffered no damages and will continue operations to supply fuel.
7 killed in Surat chemical factory blast last month
In a similar incident on November 30, at least seven workers were killed following a massive blast at a chemical manufacturing unit of Aether Industries in Surat, Gujarat on November 30. The workers were trapped in the fire following the explosion. In December 2021, a fire accident at the IOCL refinery in West Bengal's Haldia killed three people and injured over 40 others.
