A large gasoline storage tank at the Zawiya refinery complex in western Libya caught fire and completely collapsed on Monday evening after being hit under unclear circumstances. Libyan authorities have declared a state of emergency in the area following a series of attacks on oil industry facilities.
According to Libya's National Oil Company (NOC), tank 402-T, owned by Brega Oil Marketing and used for storing gasoline, was directly targeted on August 10.
🇱🇾🔥 A fire broke out Monday evening, Aug. 10, in a fuel tank at Libya's Zawiya oil refinery, west of Tripoli, after the tank was struck under circumstances the state oil firm says remain unclear.
For Libya's NOC and Brega Petroleum Marketing: the tank — holding an estimated 4.5… pic.twitter.com/8wG0rbG0fV
— 🔥🗞The Informant (@theinformant_x) August 10, 2026
The impact caused a massive fire and the tank completely collapsed. It contained about 4.5 million liters of gasoline, making the incident particularly serious due to the danger it posed to other oil installations, neighboring facilities, and the surrounding area.
Firefighters and civil protection teams immediately intervened to bring the flames under control and cool the tanks nearby, in order to prevent the fire from spreading. Brega Oil Marketing said that a damage assessment is being carried out.
The Zawiya refinery is one of the most important oil processing installations in Libya, with a capacity of up to **120 thousand barrels of crude oil per day** and is located about 45 kilometers west of Tripoli.
The incident follows several other reported attacks on energy infrastructure in Zawiya in recent days. An oil storage facility was reportedly hit on Saturday, and a water desalination plant on Sunday.
