A fire erupted at the Petro refinery in Iran’s Khuzestan province on Wednesday, resulting in one death and six injuries.
At least one person has been killed following a fire at the Pars Petro Shushtar refinery in Iran’s Khuzestan province, as reported by state media. The fire, which was battled by firefighters, was reportedly caused by a tanker colliding with gasoline storage tanks.
Local authorities have confirmed that the cause of the fire is under investigation, but they have emphasised that the incident is unrelated to the ongoing conflicts between Iran and Israel. The fire is currently being treated as an isolated industrial accident.
The refinery is an important facility in the region, and further updates on the incident, including its impact on operations and the investigation’s progress, are expected in the coming days.
The blaze, which engulfed multiple petrol storage tanks, was reported in the early morning hours.
According to Mohsen Mousavi, head of the Ahvaz Fire Department, firefighters from Ahvaz were dispatched to the refinery located in Shushtar’s Industrial Park No. 1 after receiving the initial report.
Preliminary investigations suggest the fire originated from a tanker colliding with one of the refinery’s storage tanks, ISNA news agency reported, citing Mousavi.
Mehdi Ab Ab, head of Shushtar Municipality’s Fire and Safety Services, reported that nine tanks caught fire during the incident, five of which were successfully extinguished.
The Shushtar Medical Sciences University confirmed the presence of emergency responders assisting at the scene.
Ali Abdollahi, director of the Khuzestan Provincial Crisis Management Department, initially suspected that the fire was caused by a failure to observe safety procedures during refueling. However, a thorough investigation is still pending.
Shushtar’s governor later announced that the fire had been contained and safety and cleanup procedures were underway. He confirmed the injury toll, stating, “Two to three of the injured are currently under hospital care, while the others received outpatient treatment.”
