HPCL shuts Vishakhapatnam refinery due to cyclone Hudhud

State-owned Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) temporarily shut its Vishakhapatnam refinery as cyclone Hudhud made landfall on the eastern coast.

The company on Sunday shut the 8.3 million tonnes a year or 166,000 barrels per day refinery at Vishakhapatnam as cyclone Hudhud made landfall with gusts as strong as 195 kilometres per hour.

"Refinery was stopped as a precautionary measure. It will be restarted when situation is normal," HPCL Director (Refineries) B K Namdeo told PTI.

Vishakhapatnam was hit by cyclone that caused damage to properties including communication links and airport.

"There is no damage to life and property at our refinery. Barring uprooting of a few trees, everything is fine there," he said.

HPCL will resume operations when normalcy returns to the town.

"My guess is that it may take 3-4 days," he said, adding operations will start once people are able to travel and communication links are restored.

The cyclone, classified as a very severe storm, has weakened since landfall and is moving north-westwards.

It has killed eight people with met department forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall in Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam and Vizianagaram and in some parts of Odisha.