Tragedy at MRPL: Two Workers Dead After Incident on Oil Tank Roof

Two field operators at Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) lost their lives in a suspected industrial accident early Saturday morning, after being found unconscious on top of an oil tank.

The incident occurred around 8 am in the refinery’s Oil Movement Section (OMS), where the operators had gone to inspect a suspected malfunction in tank FB7029 A, used for dry slop service and equipped with a floating roof. The employees—Deep Chandra Bhartiya and Bijil Prasad—were found unresponsive on the tank’s roof platform. Despite prompt medical attention and transfer to a hospital, both men were declared dead.

Another MRPL operator, Vinayak Myageri, who went up the platform to rescue the two, was also affected and has been admitted to a hospital in Mangaluru. His condition is reported to be stable and he remains under observation.

MRPL has formed a high-level investigation committee comprising Group General Managers to ascertain the cause of the accident. The company has also informed all statutory authorities, as per protocol.

The incident has once again raised questions about safety protocols in high-risk refinery zones, even as families of the deceased await answers.