Jaipur: Just a day before the inauguration of the Pachpadra Refinery in Barmer, Rajasthan, a fire broke out in one of its units. Following the incident, PM Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to dedicate the refinery to the nation was postponed.
As per reports, the fire broke out in the vicinity of the Crude Distillation Unit of the refinery.
The incident took place at around 2 pm in the afternoon, leading to chaos within the premises as emergency response teams moved in to contain the situation. It took around 2-3 hours to bring the blaze under control; however, no casualties were reported.
The incident raised concerns over safety arrangements at the site ahead of the high-profile event.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas announced that the prime minister’s visit has been postponed following the incident.
“Due to an unfortunate fire incident today 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 said on X, adding that the revised date for the inauguration will be announced in due course, it added.
CM Bhajan Lal Sharma was scheduled to visit the refinery on Monday but cancelled later, officials said, adding that an assessment of the damage is underway.
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The refinery-cum-petrochemical complex was being claimed as a landmark project in India’s energy and petrochemical sector. Developed as a joint venture between Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and the Government of Rajasthan, the 9 Million Metric Tonnes Per Annum (MMTPA) Greenfield Refinery-cum-Petrochemical Complex has been established with an investment of over ₹79,450 crore.
Reacting to the incident, former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot expressed concern and termed the development “unfortunate.”“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,” Gehlot said.
