Oil refinery reservoirs in the eastern Iranian city of Birjand caught fire early on Sunday morning, causing thick smoke that could be seen from several kilometers away, Islamic Republic state media reported.
IRNA said firefighters have been dispatched to extinguish the fire at the mini-refinery.
Iranian officials received an order to evacuate a nearby factory as firefighting forces continued to battle the flames. IRNA cited Mohammad Ali Akhundi, the director-general of Iran’s South Khorasan Province’s crisis management department, as saying that “operational vehicles” were forced to work to extinguish the flames “from around the danger zone because it was a matter of life.
Akhundi confirmed that there are no residential buildings in the vicinity of the factory.
IRGC on the scene, firefighting forces ‘in danger’
According to the director-general, Iranian firefighting forces are considering letting the fire engulf the reservoirs due to the severe dangers involved, to “save the lives of rescuers and people who are present in the region.”
Rescue services from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) were present on the scene, he further confirmed.
This is a developing story.
