Fire erupts at Lukoil's oil Refinery in Komi Republic of Russia: two dead, drone attack ruled out
A fire broke out at the Lukoil-Ukhta Refinery, in the Komi Republic of Russia, as reported by the Komi Republic administration, various Russian-language media outlets, and Telegram channels on Sunday, June 2.
The Telegram channel Astra reports, citing local media that the fire was preceded by the sound of an explosion. Meanwhile, the Telegram channel Baza reports that two people died as a result of the incident, and one more person was hospitalised. Preliminary reports suggest that the men were performing tasks inside one of the refinery's tanks.
Baza noted that the fire ignited inside a tank at the oil refinery, and a drone attack is not being considered a probable cause.
The information about the two fatalities was also published by the Telegram channel Shot. "Preliminarily, both victims were employees of a subcontractor at the refinery. In addition to the fatalities, one person was injured and is hospitalised in serious condition," said Shot.
The channel cited non-compliance with safety regulations as the cause of the fire.
The Komi Republic administration stated that the fire occurred in an RVS-10000 tank situated four kilometres from the city of Ukhta. The firefighting efforts involved 74 personnel from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations (MChS) and 22 units of equipment, according to the administration.
Later, the regional MChS press service confirmed that three employees of the refinery in Ukhta were injured in the fire. According to their data, the fire broke out during technical work conducted by a subcontractor.
"I want to immediately reassure the residents of Ukhta and Komi: the fire is not related to enemy drone attacks. Preliminary reports suggest that non-compliance with safety regulations was the cause," said Komi Governor Vladimir Uyba.
In recent weeks, amidst the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, drones have repeatedly targeted oil refineries in various regions of Russia.