Explosion, fire erupt at oil storage facility in South Korea

An explosion followed by a fire occurred at an oil storage facility in South Korea on the morning of February 10, local media reported.

According to the Yonhap news agency, the incident took place at a large petrol storage tank, where an explosion triggered a blaze. Emergency services were dispatched immediately, and firefighters managed to localise the fire within a short period.

The incident occurred at 7:47 a.m. local time in Hayang County, part of the city of Gyeongsan in North Gyeongsang Province. The fire broke out at a storage complex with external tanks operated by a regional branch of Daehan Oil Pipeline.

The epicentre of the fire was an oil storage area containing between 12 and 14 fuel tanks, raising concerns over the risk of a large-scale industrial accident. However, authorities said the situation was brought under control promptly.

The Gyeongsan city administration reported that by 8:08 a.m. local time, firefighters on the scene had completed the initial phase of fire suppression.

The affected petrol tank has a total capacity of approximately 3.3 million litres and was about 80% full at the time of the explosion, according to preliminary data. 

By Vugar Khalilov