Haldia Dock Revives Thermal Coal Operations After Nine-Month Gap as Petrochemicals Pipeline Fire Kills One
A major port operations milestone and a serious industrial accident made Haldia a centre of both logistics news and safety concerns this week.
Haldia Dock Resumes Coastal Thermal Coal Handling After Nine Months
Kolkata Port's Haldia Dock Complex resumed coastal thermal coal handling this week after a nine-month operational gap, marking a significant milestone for the port and for India's domestic coal supply chain. Indiatimes, Indian Transport and Logistics News, Maritime Gateway, and India Shipping News all reported on the revival, which was described as a major operational milestone for Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Kolkata. The resumption allows power plants and industrial consumers in the eastern region to receive coal via the coastal shipping route — an alternative to overland transport that reduces both logistics costs and road congestion. The nine-month suspension had been a source of concern for cargo handlers, shipping companies, and coal consumers who depend on Haldia as a critical node in the eastern India energy supply chain. The restart of operations was welcomed by port workers, port management, and the broader shipping industry as a sign of restored confidence in Haldia's operational capacity. The port handles a significant share of India's bulk cargo and plays a central role in supplying coal, fertilizers, and petroleum products to West Bengal and neighbouring states. IOCL separately issued a statement dismissing reports of a fire at the Haldia Refinery, as reported by News on AIR, seeking to prevent confusion with the separate Haldia Petrochemicals incident that occurred in the same week. [1]
Naphtha Pipeline Fire at Haldia Petrochemicals Kills One, Injures Seventeen
A serious industrial accident struck Haldia Petrochemicals this week when a naphtha pipeline caught fire, killing one worker and injuring more than seventeen others, with some injuries described as serious. The Hindu, The Indian Express, and Telegraph India all reported on the blaze, which engulfed surrounding structures and required firefighting teams to work for extended hours to bring the fire under control. HazardEx reported that the fire at the Haldia Petrochemicals facility was under investigation following the multiple injuries, with safety authorities seeking to establish the cause and sequence of the incident. Naphtha is a highly flammable hydrocarbon used as feedstock in petrochemical production, and pipeline fires in such facilities carry the risk of rapid escalation. The Haldia Petrochemicals complex is one of the larger petrochemical operations in eastern India, and the accident raised questions about industrial safety standards and emergency response preparedness at the facility. The death of one worker and the serious injuries to seventeen others prompted demands from labour unions and safety advocates for a comprehensive independent inquiry and immediate safety audits across similar petrochemical installations. West Bengal's labour department was reported to be monitoring the investigation alongside factory inspectorate officials. The incident added a sombre dimension to what was otherwise a positive week for Haldia's port operations. [4]
Sources: [1] Indiatimes · [4] The Hindu