Archive · 30 Sep 2026
Blast and Fire at MRPL Plant Kill One, Injure Nine
A large blast happened at an oil-refining plant in Mangaluru on Wednesday afternoon.
The blast caused a fire and sent thick smoke into the sky.
Reports disagree about the number of casualties.
One report said a worker named Manish died and nine people were injured.
Another report said eight people were injured and that nobody had died.
A person named Rajesh was taken to Srinivasa Hospital and was said to be out of danger.
The fire was stopped after about two hours.
The blast was linked to equipment in a treatment area, but reports described the equipment differently.
People in nearby villages felt tremors and reported broken windows, roof tiles, and cracks in buildings.
A blast followed by a fire occurred Wednesday afternoon at the MRPL plant in Jokatte, Mangaluru.
One report said worker Manish, 30, was killed and nine others were injured; another cited eight injuries and no fatalities.
The blast occurred in or near a hydro sulphur treatment area, with MRPL officials also referring to a Nitro Sulphate treatment boiler in Unit 3.
The fire was brought under control after about two hours, while injured people were treated at Srinivasa and MRPL hospitals.
Tremors, broken windows, damaged roof tiles, and reported cracks in homes, schools, and places of worship affected nearby areas.
- Who
- MRPL workers and other people at or near the facility were affected; police, district officials, firefighters, and hospitals responded.
- What
- A major blast followed by a fire occurred at an MRPL facility; reports differ over whether one worker died and whether eight or nine people were injured.
- When
- Wednesday afternoon, September 30; one report placed the blast at about 12:15 p.m.
- Where
- The Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited plant at Jokatte in Mangaluru, Karnataka, with effects reported in nearby areas including Kavoor, Surathkal, and Panambur.
- Why
- Reports attributed the blast variously to a steamer or pressure equipment and to a Nitro Sulphate treatment boiler in Unit 3; the definitive cause was not established.
Report of One Death and Nine Injuries
Report of No Deaths and Eight Injuries
Casualty count
Report of One Death and Nine Injuries
One report identified a 30-year-old worker, Manish, as dead and said nine others were injured.
Report of No Deaths and Eight Injuries
Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy said eight people were injured, while MLA Bharath Shetty said no fatalities had been reported and described around nine minor injuries plus one serious burn injury.
Blast location and cause
Report of One Death and Nine Injuries
MRPL officials said the blast occurred in Unit 3, where gas refilling takes place, and involved a Nitro Sulphate treatment boiler.
Report of No Deaths and Eight Injuries
Bharath Shetty said initial information suggested a steamer or other pressure equipment caused the blast; another report described the incident as occurring in the hydro sulphur treatment unit.
- Facility
- Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL)
- Location
- Jokatte, Mangaluru, Karnataka
- Incident
- Major blast followed by fire
- Reported casualties
- One report said one death and nine injuries; another said eight injuries and no fatalities.
- Affected equipment
- Reports referred to the hydro sulphur treatment unit and a Nitro Sulphate treatment boiler in Unit 3.
- Fire response
- The fire was reportedly brought under control after about two hours.
- Nearby damage
- Reports described shattered windowpanes, damaged roof tiles, and cracks in homes, schools, and places of worship.
