Massive fire erupts at Ecuador’s main oil refinery

According‍ to webangah News Agency, local sources confirmed that Ecuador’s largest oil refinery, La Esmeralda, caught ⁣fire on Monday morning.Emergency responders quickly brought the blaze under control.

The⁢ fire broke out at 10:22 AM local time (15:22 GMT) in Ecuador’s ⁢northern coastal province of Esmeraldas, ‍followed by a massive explosion in the area.

Ecuador’s Minister of Energy and Mines, Ines Manzano, stated on‌ X (formerly Twitter): “A fuel storage tank caught fire but ⁣is now under control. Refinery personnel are working⁣ to fully extinguish it.”

The ⁣incident prompted the complete ‌evacuation of refinery workers and students from four nearby schools.

state⁢ oil company​ Petroecuador confirmed the fire had been contained. Authorities are currently assessing facility damage and ⁢investigating potential causes.

Security forces, firefighters, and national police responded to⁢ the‍ emergency. All personnel exited safely with no reported casualties.

The ⁣110,000-barrel-per-day La Esmeralda refinery—Ecuador’s largest—had already sustained meaningful structural damage from a 6.1-magnitude earthquake on April 25 that reduced its ⁢production‌ capacity.

The latest fire has halted operations again, ​potentially impacting Ecuador’s economy substantially since‍ over 70% of its crude production is exported. The shutdown may disrupt domestic fuel supply and international shipments.