A major gasoline storage tank at Libya’s Zawiya refinery caught fire and later collapsed on Monday following what authorities described as an attack by unknown perpetrators.
The National Oil Corporation (NOC) said the tank, located at the refinery in Zawiya, west of Tripoli, was holding approximately 4.5 million litres of gasoline when it was targeted.
The incident occurred at Libya’s second-largest oil refinery, which has a refining capacity of 120,000 barrels per day.
“This evening, tank number 402-T, belonging to the Brega Oil Company and used for storing gasoline, was directly targeted, resulting in a severe fire before the tank completely collapsed,” the NOC said in a statement.
Zawiya Refinery Fire Triggers Emergency Response
Brega Oil Company said firefighters were deployed to deal with the blaze as crews worked to prevent the flames from reaching nearby storage facilities.
“Cooling operations are underway for adjacent tanks to prevent the fire from spreading,” the company said in a statement.
Libya’s emergency services agency said on Facebook that there had been “no serious casualties”, with most of the people receiving treatment suffering from smoke inhalation.
The NOC declared a state of emergency following the incident and called for an investigation into the attack.
The corporation also condemned what it described as similar attacks in Zawiya in recent days. These included two drone attacks over the weekend targeting a naphtha reservoir and a water desalination plant.
Libya Oil Infrastructure Comes Under Attack
A Libyan parliamentary panel also condemned the incident and called for increased protection of the country’s oil facilities.
“The House of Representatives’ Energy and Natural Resources Committee condemns in the strongest terms the criminal attack targeting the Zawiya Refinery, one of the most vital facilities in the oil and gas sector that is a cornerstone of the national economy,” it said in a statement.
The attack comes as Libya remains politically divided more than a decade after the 2011 conflict that led to the ousting of former leader Muammar Gaddafi.
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The North African country has Africa’s largest oil reserves but remains split between rival centres of power.
Two governments are currently competing for control. The UN-recognised administration is based in Tripoli and led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, while a rival administration in the east is backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar.
Dbeibah Orders Firm Response To Security Threats
The Tripoli-based government said Dbeibah met senior officials earlier on Monday, including the interior minister and chiefs of several armed groups in the capital, “to follow up on the latest security developments”.
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Dbeibah “stressed the need to deal firmly with any transgressions or actions that threaten security or harm vital facilities and installations”, according to the government statement.
The Zawiya refinery remains an important part of Libya’s energy infrastructure, making the latest attack a significant security concern for the country’s oil sector.
