Explosion at Indian Oil’s Mathura Refinery Injures 8, Fire Now Under Control

Explosion and Injuries
A major explosion at the Indian Oil Corporation’s (IOC) Mathura refinery on Tuesday night injured at least eight people. Eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud blast, followed by massive flames visible from several kilometers away. The explosion occurred in the crude distillation unit, which had been under maintenance for a month. The injured workers were initially treated at the refinery’s hospital, with four critically injured individuals later transferred to a private hospital for advanced care.

Cause and Impact
Despite the severity of the explosion, IOC confirmed that the fire was quickly extinguished, and refinery operations continued without disruption. According to a statement, the plant and machinery sustained no damage. This incident marks the second explosion reported by IOC in a week; the first, at its Gujarat refinery, resulted in two fatalities and several injuries earlier this week.

Investigation and Response
Renu Pathak, Senior Corporate Manager at the Mathura refinery, confirmed that an investigation had been launched to determine the cause of the explosion. Inspector Sonu Kumar from the refinery police station stated that the explosion occurred between 8:30 pm and 9:00 pm and that the refinery initially tried to control the fire internally before notifying local authorities. The fire has now been fully extinguished, and the situation is stable, according to IOC.

The refinery’s management has assured that they are addressing the matter and are taking necessary steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.