Fire Erupts at Venezuela’s Cardon Refinery as Crews Contain Blaze

(MENAFN) A large fire broke out Tuesday at Venezuela’s Cardon refinery in Falcon state, prompting an emergency response after flames were reported in an area of the facility and causing concern among residents living nearby.

The blaze was reported at approximately 3:25 p.m. local time in the refinery’s lubricants area, which forms part of the Paraguana Refining Complex, one of Venezuela’s major refining facilities.

People living in communities surrounding the refinery reported seeing intense flames rising near the facility’s flare stack, prompting authorities and emergency teams to respond to the incident.

Industrial firefighting teams from Venezuela’s state-owned oil company PDVSA were dispatched to the refinery, while personnel from the country’s National Risk Management System also joined the response.

Emergency safety procedures were activated as crews worked to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to other parts of the refinery complex.

Authorities subsequently brought the blaze under control. There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries connected to the incident.

The refinery’s operations and surrounding facilities were monitored as emergency personnel dealt with the fire, although officials did not immediately provide details on whether production or other activities at the complex were affected.

The cause of the incident has not yet been established. Venezuelan authorities have not released an official explanation for what triggered the fire in the lubricants section.

The incident adds to safety concerns surrounding Venezuela’s oil infrastructure, with refinery facilities requiring extensive industrial safety measures because of the highly combustible materials and complex processing systems involved in their operations.

Further information is expected as authorities assess the affected area and investigate the circumstances surrounding the outbreak.

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