The only thing missing are the oil fires… a fire that hits a huge reservoir in Lebanon

As if Lebanon, immersed in its economic and vital crisis, in addition to the suffocating fuel and electricity crisis, did not lack a wall of fire that also hit one of the oil tanks, to complete the disaster.

On Monday morning, a huge fire broke out in a tank of fuel in thearea of Zahrani, inside one of the main fuel unloading and storage facilities in the south of the country, according to the national news agency.

In a moment in where the country has been experiencing a severe fuel crisis for months, a huge fire broke out in a tank in the Al-Zahrani facilities containing gasoline, without knowing the cause so far.

The flames were seen rising from the tank in flames, forming a huge black cloud over the area, while members of the army blocked the roads leading to the place and prevented residents from approaching. The adjacent international road was also cut off in both directions.

Fire at the Zahrani plant in southern Lebanon (AFP)

A loud sound in front of the fire

In turn, the Al-Arabiya / Al-Hadath correspondent reported that there were no injuries among the workers inside the oil plant.

While a worker in an orchard near the fire site confirmed to AFP that it heard a loud bang before the fire broke out.

Difficulty catching fire

For their part, the fire brigade teams worked with difficulty to contain the fire and put it out, as well as to cool the adjacent tanks for fear that the fire would spread to it.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Energy Minister Walid Fayyad confirmed today that the tank that caught fire belongs to the army and contains a certain amount of gasoline.

He also added, in statements published by the report of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers on Twitter, “that the fire has been cordoned off”, while the minister asked for a report on everything that happened and his cause to know its origin. of the problem and to avoid it in future.

Interestingly, the Zahrani facilities are located next to the Zahrani power plant, fifty kilometers from Beirut.

The petroleum derivatives in which are stored are distributed in the local market through distribution companies and supply about 15 percent of the market’s needs for mazut.

A fire broke out at the Zahrani refinery in southern Lebanon

Lebanon has witnessed one of the worst economic crises in the world since the 1950s, and for months it has encountered difficulties in supplying the quantities of fuel necessary to operate its electricity production plants.

Residents are also in queue for hours to refuel theirs auto of gasoline, due to difficulties in importing fuel due to an unprecedented collapse in the exchange rate of the lira against the dollar and the depletion of hard currency reserves at the Central Bank.

From a gas station in Lebanon (Reuters archive)

Two main power plants, including the Al-Zahrani plant, completely shut down production on Saturday due to fuel oil running out, before partially resuming work on Sunday after the army supplied fuel from its stocks. for the two plants.

Note that this partial operation provides very limited power hours (only two hours) in some areas per day.