One dead in fire at major Iranian oil refinery

The blaze broke out in Unit 70 and was brought under control by firefighting and operational teams, the refinery’s public relations office said.

The IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News ruled out sabotage or human interference in the refinery fire, saying that the blaze was caused by "a leak in one of the pumps in Unit 70 of the refinery."

An investigation is ongoing, authorities say.

“Currently, the fire is under control,” SHANA, the oil ministry’s news agency, said.
“Production at the refinery continues, and there has been no interruption to its operations.”

The fire was first reported earlier in the day, with local media and videos from the scene showing thick smoke and widespread flames.

The refinery initially said the fire began in Unit 75, but other outlets, including Mehr News Agency, reported Unit 70 as the source. The refinery has since confirmed Unit 70 was affected.

Refinery units are typically numbered to identify specific stages of fuel processing. Each may handle different outputs such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel or bitumen.

Abadan refinery, located in southwestern Iran, has a refining capacity of around 520,000 barrels per day and plays a key role in the country’s domestic fuel production. A similar fire occurred at the facility in 2019.