Blaze at Rajasthan refinery puts Modi event on hold; probe ordered

A fire at the Pachpadra refinery in Rajasthan’s Balotra district, a day before its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, forced postponement of the event. The blaze was contained without casualties, while authorities ordered a probe into the incident

Jaipur: A fire broke out on Monday at the Pachpadra refinery in Rajasthan’s Balotra district a day before its scheduled inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, prompting authorities to order a probe.

The scheduled dedication of the refinery by the Prime Minister on April 21 (Tuesday) has been postponed, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said, adding the new date will be announced in due course.

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There were no reports of any casualties in the incident. Fire tenders doused the blaze in around two hours, officials said.

The fire started in the vicinity of the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) section of the refinery, leading to chaos as emergency response teams moved in to contain the flames.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma’s scheduled visit to the refinery was also cancelled, the officials said, adding that an assessment of the damage is underway.

“Due to an unfortunate fire incident in the vicinity of the Crude Distillation Unit at the HRRL refinery, the scheduled dedication of the refinery by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on April 21, 2026, has been postponed. The fire has been brought under control and there are no reports of any casualties. An investigation has been initiated,” the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said on X.

A revised date for the inauguration will be announced in due course, it added.

The opposition Congress alleged that the incident showed “safety lapses”.

“The Pachpadra refinery is a matter of pride for all Rajasthanis. The incident at such a time is extremely unfortunate. I pray for everyone’s safety,” former chief minister Ashok Gehlot said.

Leader of Opposition in State Assembly Tika Ram Jully termed the incident “serious and concerning” and questioned the state government’s preparedness ahead of the high-profile event.

He alleged that the incident pointed to lapses in safety and accused the government of rushing the arrangements for the event. He also said there were “delays” in the project’s execution.

“This landmark project, with an investment of more than Rs 79,450 crore, represents a significant milestone in India’s energy and petrochemical sector,” an official statement said earlier.