Massive Fire Erupts At Oil Tank In Venezuela's La Salina Terminal

A massive fire broke out at an oil tank at Venezuela’s La Salina terminal, operated by the state company PDVSA, during a storm in early October 15, 2024 (Tuesday).

The fire broke out at a facility near Cabimas in western Venezuela, causing two explosions and huge clouds of black smoke spreading across the area.

The fire broke out in crude tank 75012, a key storage unit used to transport oil between domestic ports. By the time the flames went down, 24 people, including employees and nearby residents, had incurred minor injuries from the explosions and smoke.

Despite efforts to control the fire, it took firefighters more than 24 hours to completely extinguish it. On Wednesday, the interior ministry and the Cabimas Fire Department declared the fire “completely extinguished.”

Mufid Houmeidan, the chief of Cabimas’ firefighters, verified the news, saying that the crew is still cooling the impacted tank with water to avoid any flare-ups.

The aftermath left the area around the tank burned and covered in large pools of foam used to extinguish the fire. The firefighters responded quickly, stopping the fire from spreading to nearby tanks and facilities.

PDVSA confirmed that the incident did not impact the nearby Bajo Grande oil export terminal.

Fires and power outages have become common at PDVSA’s older facilities, disrupting operations at the state-run company. Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, which initial reports show may have been started by the storm.

Reference: Reuters

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