Firefighters are battling a massive blaze at Libya’s Zawiya refinery after a drone attack ignited a tank containing about 4.5 million litres (1.2 million gallons) of gasoline. The National Oil Corporation (NOC) warned that continued attacks could force the refinery to declare force majeure and suspend operations.
Libya’s Ambulance and Emergency Service said on Tuesday that there were no serious injuries, with most patients treated for smoke inhalation. The refinery is about 40km (25 miles) west of Tripoli and has a refining capacity of 120,000 barrels per day.
What happened at the refinery
The NOC said the fire began on Monday evening at tank 402-T, operated by the Brega Oil Company. The tank was directly targeted and later collapsed, while footage verified by Al Jazeera showed flames and thick black smoke over the facility.
The NOC said the refinery had also been targeted by drone strikes on a water desalination plant on Sunday and a naphtha reservoir on Saturday. Hours after the main fire, it said another drone targeted an oil blending and filling plant operated by the Zawiya Oil Refining Company. The drone fell near an oil tank and a pipeline network without causing casualties or damage.
Related coverage: Fire reported at Saudi Aramco refinery after Houthi drone claim.
Shutdown warning remains conditional
The NOC declared a “maximum emergency” in the region and called for an investigation. It said the refinery was still facing sabotage attacks and that it would declare a state of force majeure and suspend operations if the attacks continued.
No group immediately claimed responsibility, and the NOC did not identify who it believed was behind the strikes. The Brega Oil Company appealed to all parties to stop fighting and stay away from oil facilities and depots.
Officials call for stronger protection
Tripoli-based Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah met with senior officials, including the interior minister and chiefs of some armed groups in the capital, to discuss the security situation. His government said he called for firm action against threats to security and vital facilities.
More context: New Houthi missile and drone attacks hit al-Makha.
A Libyan parliamentary energy committee condemned the attack and called for stronger protection of oil installations, describing the refinery as a vital facility for the national economy.
Also read: Yemen faces renewed war threat after Houthi attacks.
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