Tehran, July 19 (QNA) -  A fire that broke out in a unit of the Abadan Refinery, one of the country's oldest crude oil processing facilities, had been brought under control, local authorities in Khuzestan Province, southwest Iran, have announced.

Fars news agency quoted refinery officials as saying that production operations were continuing steadily and without disruption, thanks to the use of spare capacity from other units.

The officials explained, based on initial technical inspections and statements from refinery managers, that the fire was caused by a leak in one of the pumps in Unit 70. They emphasized that there was no evidence of sabotage or human intervention so far.

They indicated that the incident resulted in the death of one worker, and that an investigation is still underway to uncover the details and causes of the fire, with the results to be announced later.

Meanwhile, Mehr news agency reported that firefighting and rescue teams rushed to the scene immediately after the fire broke out and were able to control the blaze in record time.

Located in the oil-rich Khuzestan province, Abadan refinery is the oldest in Iran. The incident coincided with an intense heat wave hitting the region, making efforts to control the fire even more difficult. (QNA)