A major fire broke out on September 25 morning in the site of 220 MW Barge-mounted power plant owned by the GMR Energy group adjacent to the Kakinada deep seaport at Kumbabhisekham area on the Kakinada coast in East Godavari district.
The country's only barge-mounted power plant was shifted to Turkey recently from the Kakinada coast, where the power plant was decommissioned in 2013.
East Godavari District Fire Officer Ch. Ratna Babu told The Hindu, "By 10 am at least four fire tenders were engaged in dousing the fire. The exact reason for the fire mishap is yet to be ascertained.”
GMR Energy Corporate Relations and Plant In-Charge (Maintenance) K. Vijay Kumar told The Hindu, "The buildings and some materials pertaining to the barge-mounted power plant have caught fire on September 25. No casualty has been reported and no mean of work is in progress on the site when the incident occurred.” Mr. Vijay Kumar has further added that the reason for the fire mishap is being inquired.
The GMR Energy group has also sought support from the neighbouring Kakinada Sea Port Limited (KSPL) which provided assistance to douse the fire on the plant site.
The district authorities and GMR group are expected to carry out a study to ascertain the reasons for the fire mishap and the scale of damage reported in the incident.
