A major fire broke out at the Indian Oil Corporation's lube blending plant in Navi Mumbai in the early hours of Tuesday. Fire fighters battled it for over six hours before dousing it by 7.30 a.m., according to an IOC press release.
There were no casualties or injuries and the extent of loss was being assessed, the release said.
Fire brigade officials said the cooling operations in the plant ended by 5 p.m.
The IOC said preliminary reports indicated that an electrical short circuit was the cause.
R.H. Gharat, sub-officer at the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation Fire Brigade, told The Hindu that more than 15 fire engines were pressed into service. Fire tenders of IOC and neighbouring industries were also deployed.
“We saved the main storage [of lubricant oil] from getting destroyed,” Mr. Gharat said.
He said the cooling operations took a while but they were important because otherwise the heated cans and drums could have caught fire again.
The press release said the fire was limited to a 3000-sq.m. area. The lube blending unit was damaged. All the other facilities, including manufacturing plant and laboratory, were intact.
