Oil Refinery Fire Near Iran’s Capital Burns into Second Day
Voice of America
TEHRAN, IRAN - A massive fire at an oil refinery near Iran’s capital burned into a second day Thursday as firefighters struggled to extinguish the flames.
The fire began at the state-owned Tondgooyan Petrochemical Co. to the south of Tehran on Wednesday night, sending a huge plume of black smoke into the sky over the capital. The Oil Ministry’s SHANA news agency said the fire broke out over a leak in two waste tanks at the facility. Authorities initially suggested the flames affected a liquified petroleum gas pipeline at the refinery. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh visited the scene overnight. While seeking to assure the public the fire would not affect production, Iranians queued up for gasoline on Thursday morning, the start of the weekend in the Islamic Republic.A Swiss flag is pictured in front of the Burgenstock Resort where the Summit on Peace in Ukraine will take place June 15 and 16, in Lucerne, Switzerland, May 28, 2024. FILE - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks at a press conference in Beijing, May 30, 2024. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy listens to a question during a press conference after the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue summit at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore, June 2, 2024.
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