Huge fire breaks out at Libya’s Zawiya refinery after drone attack

Libya’s National Oil Corporation warns it may halt operations at the country’s largest operating refinery if drone attacks continue.Firefighters in Libya are battling a massive blaze at the Zawiya refinery following a drone attack, with the country’s national oil company warning it may declare a force majeure and shut down operations if attacks continue.Libya’s Ambulance and Emergency Service said in a statement on Tuesday there were no “serious injuries” from the fire, with most patients treated for smoke inhalation.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Which other countries could join the Turkiye-Saudi-Pakistan defence pact?list 2 of 4Can diplomacy end the conflict in Libya?list 3 of 4Libya electricity blackout protests expose country’s failing gridlist 4 of 4Protests erupt in Libya’s Tripoli as anger grows over power cutsend of listFootage verified by Al Jazeera showed huge flames and thick black ‌smoke billowing over the facility, the largest operating refinery in Libya with a refining capacity of 120,000 barrels per day.It is located about 40km (25 miles) west of the capital, Tripoli.The National Oil Corporation (NOC) said in a statement on Facebook that the fire broke out on Monday evening at tank number 402-T, belonging to the Brega Oil Company.It said the tank, which contained about 4.5 million litres (1.2 million gallons) of gasoline, was “directly targeted, resulting in a severe fire before the tank completely collapsed”.The NOC said the attack followed drone strikes on a water desalination plant at the refinery on Sunday and on a naphtha reservoir on Saturday.The company declared a “maximum emergency” in the region and urged authorities to launch an investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice.There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, and the company did ‌not say who they believed was behind them.In a statement hours later, the NOC said the refinery was “still being subject to sabotage attacks” with a drone targeting an oil blending and filling ⁠plant operated by the Zawiya Oil Refining Company.