Mangaluru fire mishap: MRPL offers ₹ 1.2 crore compensation to family of contract employee who died
You don’t have any Active Subscription.
Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription
Health Minister U.T. Khader at the government-run Wenlock Hospital mortuary with the father of Manish Karkada, who died following a fire at an MRPL unit in Mangaluru, on September 30, 2026. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited, on October 1, announced a total compensation of ₹1.2 crore to the family of 30-year-old contract employee Manish Karkada, who died in a fire in the unit on September 30, while a group of contract employees carried out a protest in front of the company’s gate demanding adequate compensation to the deceased and other injured persons.
In a statement, MRPL said it will give financial support of ₹90 lakh to the family of Mr. Karkada. The family was eligible for about ₹10 lakh under Group Term Life Insurance and ₹20 lakh under Workmen Compensation Policy. The proposal for Mediclaim insurance for secondary workforce was under consideration and it will be finalised after discussing with the MP and Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner, the MRPL stated.
A two-member committee comprising Joint Director and Deputy Director of Department of Factories and Boilers visited the site of the accident on Thursday as part of the statutory inquiry. The condition of one person, who suffered 40% burns, continues to be critical.
During the visit of district In-charge Minister U.T. Khader to the mortuary in Wenlock Hospital on Wednesday to console the parents and family members of Mr. Karkada, several contract workers accused MRPL of negligence and demanded adequate compensation to all the victims. The employees expressed their anguish to an MRPL official, who visited the mortuary earlier.
The distraught father of Mr. Karkada, Alfred Vasant Kumar, said Manish and his twin brother Anish were working in the MRPL for the past six months. “On September 30 afternoon, the two were in the same shift. Anish left the place for lunch while Manish stayed back. Manish lost his life in the blast,” Mr. Kumar said.
On September 30, a rupture in the cold separator operating at high pressure in the Coker Hydrotreater Unit in MRPL led to a fire around noon. Charred body of Manish Karkada was found after fire was put off around 3 p.m. A total of 12 persons sustained burns.
After receiving the body of Manish from the police, the family members carried out the last rites in Haleyangady.
Based on the complaint by Ravi Poojary, the Surathkal police registered a case against heads of the Coker Hydrotreater Unit and the MRPL for offences under Sections 287 (negligent conduct with respect to fire), 125 (b) (rash and negligent act that endangers human life), and 106 (causing death of any person due to rash and negligent act) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.
