Explosion Sparks Fire at Tehran Oil Refinery

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2021-06-04

A large fire broke out Wednesday at an oil refinery in the Iranian capital of Tehran, according to state media.

There were no immediate reports of casualties. While the refinery is located in an industrial zone, it is not far from people's homes, according to local authorities.

"A leak at a liquid gas pipeline at the facility sparked the fire," Mansour Darajati, Tehran crisis team head, told state television.

Darajati said the leak caused an explosion which began the fire at around 7:30 p.m. local time.

Agence France Presse reported that the fire was still ongoing hours later, but that it had subsided.

Ship fire

In a separate incident Wednesday, an Iranian naval ship sank off the coast of Oman after catching fire.

Firefighting efforts on the ship continued for 20 hours before it became submerged. All 400 people aboard were rescued, with 20 reporting minor injuries or burns.

Naval authorities told state television that the cause of the fire was "still not clear."

Source: Voice of America