Oil refinery fire injures 8 firefighters in southern Iran
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Fire erupted at an oil refinery in southern Iran and injured eight firefighters Monday, the official IRNA news agency reported.
The news agency did not say what caused the fire but reported the firefighters were hurt while trying to put out the blaze burning in two of the five tanks at an oil depot near Iran's port of Banda Abbas.
Authorities said there was concern the fire might spread to more tanks. The port, located at the mouth of strategic Strait of Hormuz, is a major import and export hub.
Similar fires were reported there in the past and at other oil facilities in Iran. Authorities blamed them on decades of international sanctions as well as hot summer weather.
Temperatures in Bandar Abbas reached nearly 37 degrees Celsius (97 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday.
