Four Missing and Three Injured Following Explosion of ‘Fuel Tanks’ in Charmshahr, Qazvin
An explosion of six ‘fuel tanks’ in the industrial zone of Charmshahr, Qazvin, located on the border between Bouin Zahra and Eslamshahr cities, which occurred on Thursday morning, December 23, resulted in such a widespread fire that black smoke engulfed the southwestern part of Alborz Province.
News reports have identified the explosion site as ‘an oil refining factory.’
MohammadReza Falahnejad, Director General of Crisis Management for Alborz Province, told the Tasnim News Agency, noting the extensive presence of firefighting forces at the scene, that this fire occurred in an industrial unit ‘outside’ of Alborz Province.
Soheil Sultan, Head of Qazvin Medical Emergency Center, also stated that this fire was accompanied by an explosion.
According to Mojtaba Khaled, spokesman for the Country’s Emergency Medical Services, so far 3 people have been injured, and based on eyewitness accounts and personnel reports, four people are likely missing.
No information about possible casualties from this incident has been released yet.
Mr. Khaldi also stated that the fire in this production facility occurred due to an explosion in tanks containing hydrocarbons during welding operations.
Meanwhile, Hassan Asfi, Director of the Red Crescent Society of Qazvin Province, stated that this incident resulted from an explosion of six fuel tanks, leading to a widespread fire.
The intensity of the fire in the Charmshahr industrial zone was such that, according to reports, until Thursday noon the fire from this incident was not fully contained.
Following this fire, the Director General of Environmental Protection for Alborz Province announced that air quality in Eslamshahr city in this province has reached a red alert level and is unhealthy for all groups.
Explosions and fires in production and industrial units, which are usually accompanied by loss of life, make news in Iran from time to time.
Employers’ negligence toward work safety principles and the lack of oversight in implementing these principles by responsible organizations are among the causes of these incidents.
Source: Radio Farda
