A major fire broke out on Saturday evening resulting in massive damages at the Indian Oil Corporation ltd (IOCl) refinery plant here, which is scheduled to be dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 7.
At around 6.30 pm, fire broke out at the AV unit of the refinery near its gate number one, where the helipad for the Prime Minister’s chopper from Bhubaneswar has been built. The mishap occurred just a few hours after Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan left the plant after reviewing the preparations for the ensuing visit of the Prime Minister.
Five fire tenders were pressed into service. The fire was caused due to a short circuit, sources said. Many senior IOCl and district administration officials rushed to the spot and took stock of the situation.
Meanwhile, sources said a technical team would conduct a probe to ascertain how the fire broke out. Following the incident, the Prime Minister’s visit is now uncertain, according to some sources.
