Fire at Rajasthan refinery day before inauguration by PM Modi, event postponed

As per the government, the project has an investment of more than Rs 79,450 crore.

The planned inauguration of a refinery by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 21, 2026 (Tuesday), has been postponed after a fire broke out at the Pachpadra refinery near the crude distillation unit in Rajasthan's Balotra district, the Oil Ministry said on Monday.

The ministry said that the fire has been brought under control after fire tenders rushed to the spot and no casualties have been reported.

It also said that an investigation has been launched to determine the cause and implement corrective measures.

A revised date for the event's inauguration will be announced later.

"Due to an unfortunate fire incident today in the vicinity of the Crude Distillation Unit at the HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Limited (HRRL) refinery, the scheduled dedication of the refinery by the Prime Minister on 21.04.2026 has been postponed. The fire has been brought under control. There are no reports of any casualties," the ministry said in a post on X.

Due to the high-profile inauguration programme on Tuesday, the fire led to some chaos within the refinery premises as emergency response teams rushed to contain the situation. The blaze has raised concerns over safety arrangements at the site.

The project has an investment of more than Rs 79,450 crore, as per the government.