At the oil refinery in Dobrudja, a city on the Black Sea coast, an explosion was heard first, then a fire broke out, followed by thick, dark smoke. This can also be seen from other seaside resorts, Romanian TV news reports.
The District Disaster Protection Inspectorate (ISU) has issued the highest level of red alert and mobilized the relevant authorities in the neighboring provinces – Kalarasi, Illumeta and Tulcea. The public was warned of hazardous smoke via the RO-Alert emergency telephone system.
According to news agency reports, about twenty rescue teams are working at the site to control the flames, and based on the information so far, all employees have managed to escape, and there are no known injuries.
#Romania
An explosion rocked one of the largest #oil refineries in the country
Several people were injured. 😔 Petromedia Refinery is located on the Black Sea coast in the city of Novodari. pic.twitter.com/a7IquCAwsS– Arthur Morgan (@ArthurM40330824) June 21, 2023
Digi24 understands that the explosion occurred in diesel distillation equipment. The wind blows thick smoke towards the sea, so the air quality in the area has not yet deteriorated, said Mihai Dragan, spokesman for the Ministry of Environmental Protection.
The news portal indicated that an explosion, followed by a fire, also occurred at the Petromedia Navodari Oil Refinery in 2021, killing one person and injuring five others.
Several hours after the fire started, the Disaster Prevention Inspectorate announced that the flames had been brought under control, but there was still a risk that it might start again. Therefore, the technical staff of the oil refinery is working to evacuate the equipment that caught fire, and the firefighters are continuing the cooling operations.
According to the environmental protection report, the smoke and bad smell disappeared after the fire was extinguished. ISU spokeswoman Ana Maria Stoica said a firefighter was injured during the extinguishing operation and was taken to hospital in Constanta for examination.
Rompetrol, the refinery’s operator, said in a statement that the flames erupted after servicing so-called hydrocracking equipment. Employees reported this immediately, and the company’s firefighters began to put out the fire even before the disaster prevention units arrived, Agripress wrote, referring to the company’s statement.
The news agency quoted the press release as saying that Petromedia Navodari is the largest crude oil refinery in Romania and one of the most modern facilities in the region.
