A high-pressure cold separator ruptured in the Coker Hydrotreater unit at Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals' (MRPL) Kuthethoor complex north of Mangaluru, India, at about 12:20pm local time on 12 June, killing one contractual employee and injuring nine others.

The vessel had reportedly been operating at around 70 bar when it failed, triggering an explosion and subsequent fire. MRPL isolated the affected unit immediately and mobilised its emergency response and firefighting teams. Firefighters extinguished the blaze by 2:47pm, roughly two and a half hours after the rupture.

Post-fire inspection and cooling operations continued after the main response. During those inspections, responders recovered the body of Manish Karkara, a contractual employee who had been reported missing after the blast. One refinery employee, identified as Rajesh, suffered burns and is receiving intensive care at a local hospital. Eight others sustained minor injuries and have received medical treatment.

The blast was audible several kilometres away. Residents of Jokatte, Kavoor and Yeyyadi, as well as areas near Mangaluru International Airport, reported hearing a loud noise at the time of the incident.

Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy confirmed that the explosion and fire occurred in the Hydro Sulphur Treatment unit of the complex. Police have opened an investigation into the circumstances of the rupture, though the precise cause remains undetermined.

MRPL stated that ongoing operations at the site are prioritising the safety of personnel and the facility.

The watch item: the police investigation into the cause of the separator failure and any findings on inspection and maintenance intervals for high-pressure vessels in the hydrotreating circuit.