Deadly fire at Shazand Petrochemical Plant; Officials Say Cause of Fire Still Unclear
News agencies in Iran have reported a deadly fire at the Shazand Petrochemical Plant (Arak) on Monday evening, January 10.
Hamid Ghiasi, Director General of Crisis Management at the Central Governorate, told ISNA that one person was killed and two others were injured in the fire.
Ghiasi told ISNA that both injured people were taken to the hospital and that one of them suffered about 40 percent burns.
He said that one of the "not very large" tanks at Shazand Petrochemical Company had a leak, and a fire broke out while the company's employees were trying to prevent the leak and fix the defect.
No further explanation has been released as to why the fire broke out while trying to prevent the leak.
According to the Director General of Crisis Management of the Central Governorate, the main cause of the fire is under investigation. He said that the fire has been completely extinguished.
In recent years, there have been numerous fires, including in infrastructure and military facilities in Iran, with some speculation suggesting sabotage in the facilities. However, the lack of proper care and maintenance of the facilities has not been ruled out as a cause of these fires.
Source: Voice of America
