15 wounded in fire at Indian refinery

At least 15 people were wounded after a naphtha-carrying pipeline caught fire at a refinery in India on Tuesday.

The incident occurred at the Haldia Refinery in West Bengal, where thick plumes of black smoke billowed into the sky, local broadcaster NDTV reported.

The fire in the pipeline carrying naphtha – a highly flammable liquid fuel – erupted between 4.00 am (2230GMT Monday) and 5.00 am local time, the broadcaster reported.

“The fire was so intense that several workers present in the area suffered burn injuries,” the broadcaster reported.

Factory authorities have yet to ascertain the cause of the fire.