3 injured due to fire at oil refinery in Russian Republic of Komi

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - At least three people were injured in the Russian Republic of Komi due to a fire at an oil refinery, local authorities said on Sunday.

“According to updated data, it was established that during scheduled technical work by the contractor, a fire occurred, as a result of which three employees were injured,” said a statement by the branch of Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry in the republic.

The incident occurred at an oil refinery, belonging to the Russian energy giant Lukoil, 4 kilometers (2.4 miles) from the town of Ukhta and around 1,540 kilometers (957 miles) from Russia’s capital Moscow.

The fire and rescue units arrived at the site and began work to eliminate the fire, the statement said.

Vladimir Uyba, the head of the Republic of Komi, said on Telegram that the fire was not caused by a drone attack.

“According to preliminary data, the cause of the incident was non-compliance with safety regulations. I have the situation under control,” he said.​​​​​​​