Ecuador declares emergency at fire-hit oil refinery
The fire has caused extensive damage at the massive plant in the northwestern Esmeraldas province. (AP pic)
QUITO : Ecuador today declared an emergency at the country's main oil refinery, where a fuel tank fire halted operations earlier this week, the state oil company Petroecuador said.
Petroecuador said the fire that erupted Monday had caused extensive damage at the massive plant in the northwestern Esmeraldas province, near the border with Colombia.
Two fuel oil tanks and an electrical substation at the plant – which can refine 110,000 barrels per day into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and domestic gas – had been impaired.
'This forced the emergency shutdown of key units and auxiliary steam and power systems,' the plant operator said.
No one was hurt in the blaze, and Petroecuador did not specify the amount of fuel that was in the tank when the fire broke out.
But it cautioned that the fire erupted near two tanks that can store up to 2,544 cubic metres of fuel.
To address the dangerous situation, the company said that the Esmeraldas Refinery had today 'declared an emergency operation to allow for urgent repairs and the restoration of operating conditions as quickly as possible'.
The 60-day operation would facilitate the allocation of funds without bureaucratic procedures, it said.
Ecuador is one of South America's top oil producers and is heavily reliant on its petroleum exports for revenue.
Petroecuador did not specify how long the stocks at its distribution centres would last.
Ecuador has two other refineries, with respective capacity for 45,000 and 20,000 barrels per day.
The government said in a statement Monday that 'the supply of fuel is completely guaranteed throughout the country' despite the fire.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
9 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
At least 115 dead after floods in central Nigeria
Flooding, usually caused by heavy rains and poor infrastructure, wreaks havoc every year in Nigeria. (EPA Images pic) MOKWA : Flash floods that ripped through parts of central Nigeria have killed at least 115 people and injured dozens of others, emergency services officials said yesterday, with the toll expected to rise further. Teams of rescuers continued to search for missing residents after torrential rains late on Wednesday through early Thursday washed away and submerged dozens of homes in and around the town of Mokwa, located on the banks of Niger River, in Niger state. 'We have so far recovered 115 bodies and more are expected to be recovered because the flood came from far distance and washed people into the River Niger,' Ibrahim Audu Husseini, a spokesman for the Niger state emergency management agency, told AFP. 'Downstream, bodies are still being recovered. So, the toll keeps rising.' He said many were still missing, citing a family of 12 where only four members have been accounted for. 'Some bodies were recovered from the debris of collapsed homes,' he said, adding that his teams would need excavators to retrieve corpses from under the rubble. At least 78 people have been hospitalised with injuries, the Red Cross chief for the state, Gideon Adamu, told AFP. According to the Daily Trust newspaper, thousands of people have been displaced and more than 50 children in an Islamic school were reported missing. The national emergency management agency (Nema) described it as an 'unprecedented flood'. The police and military have been roped in to help with the disaster response. An AFP journalist in Mokwa, more than 300km east of the capital Abuja, saw emergency services conducting search and rescue operations with residents going through the rubble of flattened buildings as flood waters flowed alongside. 'We lost everything' Local media reported that more than 5,000 people have been left homeless, while the Red Cross said two major bridges in the town were torn apart. Displaced children played in the flood waters, heightening the possibility of exposure to water-borne diseases as at least two bodies lay covered in banana leaves and printed ankara cloth. An emotional woman in a maroon headscarf sat with tears dripping down her face. Mohammed Tanko, 29, a civil servant, pointed to a house he grew up in, telling reporters: 'We lost at least 15 from this house. The property (is) gone. We lost everything.' Fisherman Danjuma Shaba, 35, said he slept rough in a car park. 'I don't have a house to sleep in. My house has already collapsed,' he said. Describing how she escaped the raging waters, Sabuwar Bala, 50, a yam vendor, said: 'I was only wearing my underwear, someone loaned me all I'm wearing now. I couldn't even save my flip-flops.' 'I can't locate where my home stood because of the destruction,' she said. Nigeria's rainy season, which usually lasts six months, is just getting started for the year. Flooding, usually caused by heavy rains and poor infrastructure, wreaks havoc every year, killing hundreds of people across the West African country. Scientists have also warned that climate change is already fuelling more extreme weather patterns. In Nigeria, the floods are exacerbated by inadequate drainage, the construction of homes on waterways and the dumping of waste in drains and water channels. 'This tragic incident serves as a timely reminder of the dangers associated with building on waterways and the critical importance of keeping drainage channels and river paths clear,' said Nema in a statement. The Nigerian meteorological agency had warned of possible flash floods in 15 of Nigeria's 36 states, including Niger state, between Wednesday and yesterday. In 2024, more than 1,200 people were killed and 1.2 million displaced in at least 31 out of Nigeria's 36 states, making it one of the country's worst flood seasons in decades, according to Nema.
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Malay Mail
Zico hails Ancelotti as ideal coach to revive Brazil's World Cup ambitions
KASHIMA, May 30 — Carlo Ancelotti's track record of getting the most out of Brazilian players makes him the best man to take the national team back to the top, football legend Zico told AFP. The Italian Ancelotti has vowed to make five-time World Cup winners Brazil champions again next year after becoming the first non-Brazilian to coach the side in six decades. He nurtured Brazilians such as Vinicius Junior at Real Madrid, helping to turn the 24-year-old from a figure of fun because of his inconsistent end product into one of the Spanish league's biggest stars. Zico is one of the best players ever to pull on Brazil's iconic yellow shirt and believes Ancelotti's understanding and experience make him the ideal man for the job. 'Ancelotti played with Brazilian players, he has been a champion coach with Brazilian players at several teams and he's always praised Brazilian players and put them in a position to help him,' Zico told AFP in Japan, where the 72-year-old is an adviser to J. League club Kashima Antlers. 'He has a great understanding, he loves football and his approach to football is very much in line with Brazilian thinking. 'So I think he can be successful for this reason, he can help Brazilian players thrive with his knowledge, his ability and his expertise.' At 65, Ancelotti has five Champions League titles under his belt and has managed the cream of Europe's clubs including Juventus, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich. He is taking the reins of a national team for the first time and becomes Brazil's first foreign-born manager since 1965. Zico says Brazilian coaches are no longer in vogue around the world, pointing to declining numbers of his compatriots in former hotspots like Africa, Saudi Arabia and Japan. Qualifying in balance Zico, who has coached in several countries including Uzbekistan, Iraq and India, believes the Brazilian federation had little choice but to look overseas. 'Now is not a good time for Brazilian coaches, not just in Brazil but all over the world,' he said. 'Now, when it comes to the Brazil team, if you're going to bring someone in, bring the best. As I see it, Brazil brought the best. 'For me he's the best, so I don't see anything to complain about.' Brazil have yet to clinch their place at next year's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and are currently fourth in the South American qualifying table. Ancelotti is their fourth coach since Tite stepped down following the quarter-final loss to Croatia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Italian faces some tricky fixtures in World Cup qualifying, with games at Ecuador and Bolivia still to come. But Zico believes Brazil can be one of the main contenders for the trophy if they avoid the unthinkable and book their place in the tournament. 'I think Brazil have a chance if Ancelotti manages to do a good job in the short time he has,' he said. 'I think Brazil could become one of the contenders for the title. Why not? I don't see any team in the world today as favourites.' — AFP
Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Ecuador declares emergency at fire-hit oil refinery
The fire has caused extensive damage at the massive plant in the northwestern Esmeraldas province. (AP pic) QUITO : Ecuador today declared an emergency at the country's main oil refinery, where a fuel tank fire halted operations earlier this week, the state oil company Petroecuador said. Petroecuador said the fire that erupted Monday had caused extensive damage at the massive plant in the northwestern Esmeraldas province, near the border with Colombia. Two fuel oil tanks and an electrical substation at the plant – which can refine 110,000 barrels per day into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and domestic gas – had been impaired. 'This forced the emergency shutdown of key units and auxiliary steam and power systems,' the plant operator said. No one was hurt in the blaze, and Petroecuador did not specify the amount of fuel that was in the tank when the fire broke out. But it cautioned that the fire erupted near two tanks that can store up to 2,544 cubic metres of fuel. To address the dangerous situation, the company said that the Esmeraldas Refinery had today 'declared an emergency operation to allow for urgent repairs and the restoration of operating conditions as quickly as possible'. The 60-day operation would facilitate the allocation of funds without bureaucratic procedures, it said. Ecuador is one of South America's top oil producers and is heavily reliant on its petroleum exports for revenue. Petroecuador did not specify how long the stocks at its distribution centres would last. Ecuador has two other refineries, with respective capacity for 45,000 and 20,000 barrels per day. The government said in a statement Monday that 'the supply of fuel is completely guaranteed throughout the country' despite the fire.
