13 Dec Fire causes explosion in Eastern Iran Facility
A fire which ended up going out of control caused two explosions on Sunday and is still raging at the South Khorosan Oil Refinery in Eastern Iran, according to official Iranian news sources.
As of writing this article, the out-of-control fire has consumed over 1.5 million litres of fuel.
The blaze began in one of the mini-refinery’s reservoirs and quickly spread to adjacent reservoirs.
According to an analysis of the fire carried out by specialists online, the type of explosion is reminiscent of the heat exchange and an improperly fitted heat valve, creating a hot-blowtorch-like effect that continues to ignite the large reservoirs and create explosions on the scene.
Source: Pexels
The exact cause of the fire has yet to be announced by officials.
Birjand’s governor, Ali Fazelifard, has stated that five firefighting groups, supported by multiple fire engines were actively working to cool down nearby reservoirs and halt the spread of the fire.
He also confirmed that the refinery, owned by Azaran Sanaat Barsava, a company specializing in producing light and heavy hydrocarbons from gas condensates, had been fully evacuated to avoid human casualties by the time the explosions happened. Whilst no statistics have currently been announced, it is believed there are no human casualties at this time.
Fire Middle East will continue to report on this event.