Surat fire: The blast was followed by a massive fire that could be seen from a distance.
A massive fire that broke out at an Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) gas processing plant in Gujarat early this morning has been brought under control, the company said. "There is no casualty or injury to any person," ONGC said on its Twitter account.
According to official information, three consecutive blasts took place at two terminals of the Hazira-based ONGC plant in Surat at around 3:00 AM. The blast was followed by a massive fire that could be seen from a distance.
The sound of the blast was heard as far as 10 km, according to eye witnesses.
The fire was reportedly caused by a rupture in the 36-inch Uran-Mumbai gas pipeline.
All terminals have been closed down as a precautionary measure.
"Around 3:05 am last night, three consecutive blasts took place at the ONGC Hazira plant which led to the fire. Seven fire tenders and several firefighters immediately reached the spot to provide relief. No casualties have been reported so far," Surat Collector Dhaval Patel was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
He further said that the depressurization of the pressurized gas system was underway.
"We are relieved that the fire was contained inside the premises of the plant and did not escalate to an off-site emergency," he added. The official said that the ONGC plant will also become partially operational in two to three hours.
With inputs from agencies