One year on, no action against responsible for HPCL blast yet

Visakhapatnam: It’s been a year that the deadly blast in the state run oil major, HPCL’s Visakha refinery, killed 228 persons, but there are no signs of any disciplinary action towards those who are responsible for it.

It was on August 23, last year, that, around 28 persons, one officer and remaining contract workers, died when a major fire took place while commissioning a wooden cooling tower at a Diesel Hydro Desulphurisation Unit being built at the refinery.

The workers were involved in welding and other works relating to erecting the tower when the fire broke out and the tower collapsed. The Oil Industry Safety Directorate (OISD), which was asked to probe into the deadly mishap, had found fault with the HPCL management for the incident.

OISD found at least 13 lapses on the part of HPCL and also asked the management to initiate disciplinary action against persons responsible for the lapses.

OISD submitted its report in November.

“HPCL is known for such acts. After September 14, 1997 blast at the same refinery which killed more than 60 workers, the Jain Commission that was asked to probe into it, had recommended not to introduce contract work system. But they ignored it,” said, CPM, state secretariat member, Ch Narasinga Rao.