Fire breaks out after attack on major Libyan refinery

Libyan authorities say unknown perpetrators were behind an attack on a major gasoline reservoir west of the capital Tripoli.

The reservoir at the country’s second-largest oil refinery in Zawiya caught fire and collapsed.

The National Oil Corporation (NOC) said the tank contained about 4.5 million litres of gasoline.

The NOC condemned similar attacks at the refinery in recent days, including drone attacks on a naphtha reservoir and a water desalination plant over the weekend.

A parliamentary panel condemned the attack and called for stronger protection of oil installations.

Last month, protesters angered by frequent and prolonged power cuts forced entry to the Mellitah gas complex, bringing it to a halt.

Libya has the most abundant oil reserves in Africa. But the country has been divided since it plunged into civil war during the ouster of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Two governments are currently vying for power: the internationally-recognised administration in Tripoli led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah and a rival in the east backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar.

In a statement, the Tripoli-based government said Dbeibah held a meeting earlier in the day with key officials, including the interior minister and the chiefs of some armed groups in the capital, “to follow up on the latest security developments.”

Dbeibah "stressed the need to deal firmly with any transgressions or actions that threaten security or harm vital facilities and installations", the statement said.