The blaze began at approximately 17:30 local time during the start-up
of the plant’s butane purification tower in the LPG absorption unit. The fire
reportedly followed a catalyst charging operation and gas injection, which
triggered an explosion.
Emergency response teams from the Khark complex’s Health, Safety and
Environment (HSE) unit, along with reinforcements from the Iranian Oil
Terminals Company and the Iranian Offshore Oil Company, successfully
extinguished the fire by 18:50.
“Tragically, one operations staff member present at the site suffered
severe burns and died,” the company confirmed in its statement. No other
casualties have been reported.
Technical teams remain on-site to secure the area, and a full investigation
into the cause of the explosion is currently underway, the statement added.
Khark Island is a strategic hub for Iran’s petrochemical and oil
export infrastructure, and any disruption to operations typically raises
concern about supply continuity, although no wider operational impact has been
reported so far.