Tourists in Romania’s Black Sea beach resort area witnessed an explosion at the Petromidia oil refinery, Romania’s largest refinery, located in Navodari, announced the Constanta County Disaster Management Inspectorate on Wednesday.
After the explosion, a fire broke out at the refinery, located on the Black Sea, followed by thick, dark smoke. Visitors at seaside resorts posted videos of the burning refinery, creating a sharp contrast between the idyllic beaches and black plumes of smoke.
The region’s Disaster Prevention Inspectorate (ISU) has issued a red alert at the highest level and has mobilized the authorities of the adjacent counties of Calarasi, Ialomita and Tulcea.
The population was warned about hazardous air quality through the RO-Alert emergency telephone system. According to news agency reports, almost 20 rescue teams were on the scene to contain the flames, and so far all staff have been evacuated, with no casualties reported. Digi24 reports that the explosion occurred at the diesel distillation plant.
Environment Ministry spokesman Mihai Dragan said that the thick smoke is blowing towards the sea, so the air quality in the area has not deteriorated so far.
The news portal noted that an explosion followed by a fire at the Petromidia Navodari oil refinery in 2021 also killed one person and injured five others. Several hours after the fire started, the disaster management department said the flames had been contained, but there was still a risk of a recurrence. Therefore, the technical staff of the refinery are working to remove equipment from harm’s way, while the firefighters continue their work. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that smoke and the unpleasant smell disappeared after the fire was extinguished.
ISU spokesperson Ana Maria Stoica said that one firefighter was injured and taken to the hospital in Constanta for treatment.
In a statement, Rompetrol, the company that operates the refinery, said the fire started after maintenance work on the so-called hydrocracking equipment. Employees reported it immediately, and the company’s firefighters started extinguishing the fire before the emergency services arrived, Agerpres reported.
Petromidia Navodari is the largest oil refinery in Romania and one of the most modern of its kind in the region, with an annual processing capacity of 4.8 million tons per year.
