Morocco: oil refinery fire completely under control, two dead
Morocco, Local, 11/27/2002

A huge fire that broke out, Monday night, in Morocco's biggest oil refinery, Samir, in the port of Mohammedia, 60 km South Rabat, came "completely" under control Tuesday at noon.

According to a communique of the crisis cell, set up by the Moroccan government to deal with the human and material loss caused by torrential rain that hit Morocco since last week, the blaze claimed the lives of two, whose scorched bodies are still unidentified.

Floating dams were deployed in the area to avoid oil-sea pollution, said the same source, adding that Samir Refinery teams are taking all necessary measures to pump up spilling oil.

"All necessary measures were taken by the Energy and Mines ministry to guarantee the safety of the country and the supply of gas stations," added the crisis cell.

The refinery's production was brought to a halt Monday at 4:00 pm following flash floods that hit Mohammedia, the source said, adding that despite this preventive measure, floodwaters have caused residual hydrocarbons to get in contact with the refinery's hot parts and caused fire to break out.

Samir Refinery provides Morocco with most of its needs in refined oil products.

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