TEHRAN, May 24 — An explosion at an Iranian oil refinery during a visit by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today killed two people and injured 12, the Mehr news agency said.Ahmadinejad was not hurt, and appeared on state television shortly after the blast giving a speech marking the inauguration of a new part of the Abadan refinery.
- The semi-official Mehr said the cause of the blast and fire was a gas leak, giving no source for its information.
- Thick smoke was seen rising from the refinery in Abadan, south-western Iran, close to the Iraqi border, but firefighters had the blaze under control, Iranian news agencies said. A plane was sent to evacuate the injured to a Tehran hospital.
- Iranian media said the blast was caused by a technical fault, and did not speculate on the possibility of an attack.
Any damage to the plant at Abadan would have no impact on oil exports from the world’s fifth-biggest exporter as it is involved in producing petroleum, not the production of crude.But the blast is a blow to Iran’s drive to become self-sufficient in petrol as international sanctions have squeezed its ability to import the automotive fuel.
Source: Reuters
No comments:
Post a Comment