Massive fire at Rajasthan refinery day ahead of its inauguration by PM Modi
A major fire broke out at the HPCL Rajasthan Refinery (Pachpadra Refinery) in Balotra district, Rajasthan, on Monday afternoon, just one day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to inaugurate it on 21 April 2026.
What happened
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The blaze erupted in the crude distillation unit (CDU), a core processing area of the refinery, sending thick smoke over the site.
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Over 100 fire tenders were deployed and the fire was brought under control by the evening, with no immediate reports of casualties and staff evacuated as a precaution.
Impact on inauguration
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The Prime Minister’s visit and the official inauguration ceremony were postponed following the incident.
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The government and HPCL have ordered a probe; an initial internal assessment points to a possible hydrocarbon leak through a valve or flange in the heat‑exchanger circuit as the likely trigger.
About the refinery
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The Pachpadra refinery is a roughly ₹79,000–₹80,000‑crore greenfield integrated refinery‑cum‑petrochemical complex, set up by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) in partnership with the Rajasthan government.
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Located near Balotra/Barmer, it is India’s first greenfield oil refinery since IOCL’s Paradip unit in 2016 and is meant to boost domestic refining capacity and regional employment.
