Major Fire at Oil Facilities in Zahrani, Lebanon

Reports and Lebanese media have indicated that a large fire broke out today, Sunday, near the oil facilities in Zahrani, in southern Lebanon. A witness from Reuters stated that the fire ignited in a fuel tank at the Zahrani oil facility, adding that firefighters are trying to control it. The Lebanese television station Al-Jadeed reported that the Lebanese Army is evacuating the area amid fears of the fire spreading and possibly causing an explosion. The National News Agency of Lebanon confirmed the news of the fire, indicating that it erupted in one of the tanks at the Zahrani facilities. However, the agency has not yet determined the cause of the fire that occurred in one of the tanks containing gasoline, according to what it reported on its website. The Traffic Control Room also noted that traffic has been halted on the Zahrani Highway in both directions due to the outbreak of the fire, with traffic being redirected to the coastal road. The public prosecutor in southern Lebanon, Judge Raheef Ramadan, has initiated an investigation to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the fire, the cause of which remains unknown at this time. Flames are still rising from the gasoline tank, and there are no workers present, while firefighting vehicles rushed to the scene to contain and extinguish the fire, and security forces have blocked access to the facility and surrounding roads due to the fear of further explosions.