A massive blaze broke out at an oil refinery in Iran’s capital on Wednesday evening, according to reports via the Islamic regime’s state media.
The Associated Press (AP) reports:
The fire struck the state-owned Tondgooyan Petrochemical Co. to the south of Tehran, said Mansour Darajati, the director-general of the capital’s crisis management team. Firefighters believe it struck a pipeline for liquefied petroleum gas at the facility, Darajati told Iranian state television. He did not elaborate. Associated Press journalists in central Tehran, some 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) away, could see the black smoke rise in the distance.
It is currently unclear if any injuries occurred during the blaze or what caused it. However, the head of the Tehran Oil Refining Co, which oversees the refinery, said sabotage was unlikely, according to the Jerusalem Post, which quoted Iranian state media.
The blaze happened hours after fire hit the Iranian Navy’s largest warship, causing it to sink in the Gulf of Oman.
Dramatic video of the incident appeared on social media, which showing the crippled vessel underneath a cloud of thick black smoke.
Iranian State media and semiofficial news agencies say the ship, named the Kharg, was used for “training.” The ship was built in the United Kingdom and became a part of the Iranian navy in 1984.
The Iranian Navy has yet to issue a statement regarding the matter.