Fire at bio-diesel plant in Visakhapatnam SEZ put out

Visakhapatnam, Apr 27: The major fire which broke out at the Biomax Fuels Limited's bio-diesel manufacturing plant here yesterday was extinguished completely by this evening by some 40 fire engines.

No casualties were reported. A top-level government officer said the building fire safety norms had not been implemented at the plant. The fire broke out at around 7.30 last evening at the plant located in the Visakhapatnam Special Economic Zone in Duvvada area.

In a statement, Director General, State Disaster Response and Fire Services, T A Tripathi, said BFL had no fire safety systems as prescribed in the National Building Code, 2005. In his report to the Government, Tripathi said required safety distance between the storage tanks was not maintained; as a result the fire quickly spread from one tank to another. It engulfed 12 out of the 18 storage tanks.

There was no proper captive fire control system, automated drenching system and sprinklers, he said. Collector Dr N Yuvaraj said in his report that according to the factory employees, short circuit in a motor sparked off the blaze.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has ordered a joint inspection by the AP Pollution Control Board, fire services and factories department officials of all the industrial units in the Visakhapatnam district and their industrial safety audit within a week.

PTI