Mathura: At least 12 people were injured after a massive explosion that occurred at the Indian Oil Corporation’s refinery on the Agra-Delhi National Highway in Mathura on Tuesday. The explosion occurred a day after a blast in an Indian Oil refinery in Vadodara, Gujarat , which killed two people. According to eyewitnesses, a loud explosion was heard, followed by flames shooting up from the Mathura refinery, which were visible from several kilometers away.

Renu Pathak, Senior Corporate Manager of Mathura Refinery, stated that 12 people were injured in the incident, and an investigation has been ordered to determine the cause of the explosion. The explosion occurred in the Atmospheric Vacuum Unit (AVU) of the main plant, which was being restarted after a month-and-a-half shutdown for maintenance work.

Eight workers sustained burn injuries, with five receiving immediate treatment at the refinery’s medical facility. Three workers with serious injuries were transferred to Delhi’s Apollo Hospital. One employee suffered 50% burn injuries, while two others had 20% burn injuries. The remaining five workers with minor injuries are receiving treatment at the refinery’s hospital.

The situation is now under control, and the fire has been fully extinguished. The explosion was heard between 8:30 pm and 9:00 pm, injuring several workers near the main plant. The refinery initially attempted to control the fire internally before informing local authorities. The condition of all affected workers is stable, with those in critical condition being closely monitored.

Traffic on the highway in front of the refinery was temporarily halted for safety reasons. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to ensure quality treatment for the injured and oversee relief work at the plant. On Monday, a blast in a benzene storage tank of an Indian Oil refinery in Vadodara killed two people, and an IOCL official was injured in the fire.