Explosions hit Libya's Zawiya refinery, operations suspended

TRIPOLI, Libya — Explosions struck the Zawiya refinery on Libya's northwestern coast on Thursday evening, prompting the country's National Oil Corporation to suspend operations at the facility while damage assessments are carried out. The Zawiya refinery is among Libya's principal crude processing sites. The NOC said in a statement that activities at the plant have been temporarily halted and that an investigation into the cause of the blasts has been launched. Security measures were heightened around the refinery following the incident, according to local reports. Officials have not yet confirmed whether the explosions caused any casualties or injuries. Zawiya, located on the Mediterranean coast west of Tripoli, hosts a large share of Libya's oil-processing infrastructure and has been a focal point of the country's petroleum industry. No further details on the extent of the damage or the cause of the blasts were immediately available.