Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Sep 9: City-based Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) has, by means of clarification to certain rumours doing the rounds, has stressed that there has been no explosion in its premises as is being made out.

General manager (corporate communications) of the company, Lakshmi M Kumaran, said that there has been a breakdown in power supply, as a result of which there is black out. As trapped gases are being pushed out, the flare at the facility happens to be larger than usual, she added, discounting the rumours.

She has reiterated that there has neither been an explosion or any casualty in the refinery.

Rumours which ran thick and thin in the district earlier had claimed that power shut down occurred in the third unit of MRPL on Tuesday September 8 night due to fire accident, and that the people living in the vicinity were worried by the loud noise made by the generator when it tripped, which was heard by people living even in far off places, and more so by the orange flare that enveloped the air.

As power supply to the facility broke down, rumours had begun to spread panic in the area.