Key facts
- A fire broke out in a diesel tank at Libya's Zawiya oil depot on Monday.
- The tank reportedly contained an estimated 4.5 million liters of gasoline.
- The incident occurred two days after a drone crash at the same refinery.
- Firefighter brigades are working to contain the blaze.
- The National Oil Company (NOC) declared an extreme state of emergency in the area.
A fire broke out on Monday in a diesel tank at Libya's Zawiya refinery, accompanied by heavy smoke, according to a statement from Brega Petroleum Marketing Company. The cause of the incident remains unknown, but the National Oil Company (NOC) stated the tank, estimated to hold 4.5 million liters of gasoline, was directly targeted. Firefighter brigades are working to contain the blaze, and NOC has declared an extreme state of emergency in the area, demanding an investigation. The Zawiya refinery, Libya's largest with a capacity of 120,000 barrels per day, is connected to the Sharara oilfield. This incident follows a drone crash at the same refinery two days prior, which caused a leak that staff controlled. Engineers at the refinery reported that operations have not been suspended.