(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) One of the three blazing tanks in Al-Sidra terminal in the Oil Crescent region, north Libya, melted down and masses of blaze started falling down from it on Monday.
The fire went out of control and could spread to the rest of 19 tanks in the terminal, a source of the Tripoli-based Waha Oil Company (WOC) - the operator of the terminal, warned in statements to KUNA.
"The tank used to contain 326,000 barrels of oil when it caught fire.
"The total storage capacity of the terminal, amounting to 6.2 million barrels, is in real jeopardy due to the fire coupled with bad weather and strong wind," the source affirmed.
Last night the firefighters, backed by local volunteers, managed to put out the fire at four out of the seven blazing banks in the major oil export facility, spokesman of the military command of the Oil Crescent region Ali Al-Hasi said.
The government accuses the Islamist Fajr Libya (Dawn of Libya) militia of the attacks which caused the fire at the oil facility last Thursday.
Warplanes of the government forces loyal to retired Gen. Khalifa Belqasim Haftar, have launched the first airstrikes on Fajr Libya stronghold in Misrata, nearly 500 km to the east of Tripoli, yesterday morning.
Acting on what they called a mandate from the General National Congress (GNC), Fajr Libya started an operation to control the Oil Crescent a fortnight ago.
Legitimacy in Libya is hotly disputed by the pro-Haftar government and the parliament, and the GNC-backed Fajr Libya who captured the capital city of Tripoli in August.
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