Huge oil depot blaze puts Libya’s Tripoli under threat
30 July 2014 4:45 AM IST
The authorities rushed to evacuate people from their homes in the area along the road to the airport, where rival militias have been fighting each other for the past two weeks.
The depot, about 10 kilometres (six miles) from the Libyan capital, caught fire on Sunday when it was hit by rockets fired by the combatants, who are jostling for control of the airport.
Containing six million litres of fuel, the plant was burning steadily and the authorities feared the blaze could spread to a natural gas reservoir in the same plant, run by state-owned National Oil Corp, where 90 million litres are stored.
‘There is a risk of a massive explosion which could cause damage over a radius of three to five kilometres,’ spokesman Mohamed al-Hrari said.
‘Firefighters have been trying for hours to put out the blaze but to no avail. Their water reserves finally ran out and they’ve had to leave.’ He said the only option left was ‘intervention by air’, as the government said several countries had offered to send fire-fighting aircraft in response to an appeal for international aid.
Fighting in the area has claimed the lives of 97 people and left more than 400 injured, according to the latest figures released by the health ministry.
On Monday, the first day of the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday to mark the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, a huge pall of black smoke hung over the plant and explosions could be heard at regular intervals.
The depot, about 10 kilometres (six miles) from the Libyan capital, caught fire on Sunday when it was hit by rockets fired by the combatants, who are jostling for control of the airport.
Containing six million litres of fuel, the plant was burning steadily and the authorities feared the blaze could spread to a natural gas reservoir in the same plant, run by state-owned National Oil Corp, where 90 million litres are stored.
‘There is a risk of a massive explosion which could cause damage over a radius of three to five kilometres,’ spokesman Mohamed al-Hrari said.
‘Firefighters have been trying for hours to put out the blaze but to no avail. Their water reserves finally ran out and they’ve had to leave.’ He said the only option left was ‘intervention by air’, as the government said several countries had offered to send fire-fighting aircraft in response to an appeal for international aid.
Fighting in the area has claimed the lives of 97 people and left more than 400 injured, according to the latest figures released by the health ministry.
On Monday, the first day of the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday to mark the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, a huge pall of black smoke hung over the plant and explosions could be heard at regular intervals.
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