HPCL fire accident: Toll rises to 10

The death toll in the major fire that broke Friday in the state-owned Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) refinery in Andhra Pradesh's coastal city of Visakhapatnam rose to 10, police said Saturday.

Six charred bodies were recovered from the mishap site Saturday, taking the toll to 10. Two bodies were found Friday night while two injured succumbed at a hospital.

As many as 34 people are under treatment in different hospitals and the condition of six of them is stated to be critical.

Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) joined the search operation at the mishap site, the diesel hydro sulphurisation expansion project.

The fire broke out after a major blast in an under-construction cooling tower in the state-owned HPCL refinery Friday evening.

About a dozen fire engines controlled the fire, not allowing it to spread to other parts of the refinery.
Authorities have opened a control room at the district collectorate. Relatives of the missing workers staged a protest Saturday at the main entrance of the refinery.
About 4,000 employees of the refinery were boycotting their duties Saturday to demand proper safety measures at the refinery.

Union Minister of State for Petroleum Pannabaka Lakshmi visited the refinery and spoke to the officials about the disaster. She later told reporters that a high-level probe was already ordered into the mishap.

Relatives of the victims and other workers staged a protest during her visit and demanded compensation. They complained that the officials were not giving them information.

Union Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily is likely to visit the HPCL refinery later Saturday.