Firefighters extinguish a massive fire at Omsk oil refinery; probe launched

A massive fire broke out in the oil refinery area in Omsk. Firefighters extinguished it, and an investigation has been launched to determine the cause.

On the evening of 1 August, a fire broke out at the Omsk oil refinery owned by Gazprom Neft. The fire covered an area of 300 square metres.

Services rushed to the scene and after a while, the fire was brought under control. Gazprom Neft reported that the plant is operating normally.

"A fire was recorded in the so-called auxiliary room of the pumping station," the statement said.

There is no information about casualties. The prosecutor's office has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.

The Omsk refinery is one of the largest in Russia. It employs 3,500 people and can process 23 million tonnes of oil annually.

Omsk is located over 2,500 kilometres from the border with Ukraine.