Haifa, Israel. An industrial building and a fuel tanker at Israel’s Oil Refineries ORL.TA in Haifa were hit by debris from an intercepted missile, Israel’s Fire and Rescue Service said on Monday. The origin of the missile was not immediately clear.
Incident and response
The fire service said a direct hit was identified on a gasoline storage tank within the factory grounds, causing thick smoke from the roof of a nearby structure. Fire commander Eitan Rifa said the incident was fully contained, with no casualties, no hazardous materials risks, and no danger to the public.
Unclear source of fire
It was not immediately clear whether the missile was fired from Iran or Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, who were both firing at the same time.
Production and supply
Israel Energy Minister Eli Cohen said there was no damage to production facilities and that fuel supply would not be affected.
Previous damage at the site
Oil Refineries, also known as Bazan and located near the main base of Israel’s navy, suffered some damage from an Iranian missile strike on March 20. During a previous conflict last June, Bazan’s refinery facilities were shut down after a power station used to produce steam and electricity was significantly damaged in an attack by Iran.
What do you think should be the priority for authorities when industrial energy facilities are affected by missile-related incidents?