A major fire breaks out in the naphtha pipeline at Haldia Refinery in Purba Medinipur district, West Bengal, in the early hours of Tuesday. Multiple outlets report the blaze starts between about 4:00 and 4:30 am, with some accounts placing the first spotting earlier, around 2:45 am. The flames spread quickly to Chiranjibpur in Ward 13 of Haldia Municipality, engulfing nearby houses, while rescue teams evacuate and treat people caught in the incident area.
Officials cited by several reports say several workers sustain burn injuries and are rushed to Haldia Sub-Divisional Hospital. Many sources add that some injured people are later shifted to Tamluk Medical College and Hospital, where a small number are reported to be in critical condition. The exact cause of the fire is not immediately known, and authorities say a detailed investigation is needed to determine what triggered the blaze.
Firefighting operations involve deployment of multiple fire trucks, and some reports note the fire is brought under control after extended efforts. The incident also damages overhead railway equipment near the site, disrupting rail services temporarily.
