On Wednesday, a massive fire erupted at an Iranian oil refinery located south of the capital city, Tehran. There have been no reported casualties or injuries as emergency services and firefighters battled the flames, according to a spokesman for Iran’s emergency department and state media. The head of Tehran’s Provincial Crisis Management Office, a leak in a liquid gas pipeline at the facility was the initial cause for the fire, however, the incident will be investigated further. Videos posted to social media yesterday showed thick smoke circulating the southern areas of Tehran.
All operations at the facility have been suspended, according to local media. Some of the refinery’s tankers also caught on fire, says the Young Journalists Club agency. Foul play and espionage have both been ruled out as reasons for the fire, which has subsidized considerably as of this morning. According to the refinery’s CEO, only five percent of the initial fires remain burning. Fire brigades’ efforts had successfully prevented the blaze from spreading to other tanks or transportation containers. The incident occurred just hours after one of Iran’s largest navy vessels caught fire and sank in the Gulf of Oman.
Read More: Firefighters battle massive fire at Iranian oil refinery