Yesterday, National Oil Corporation of Libya confirmed that fuel vessels have evacuated urgently from Tripoli port and all offloading operations were cancelled after projectiles struck meters away from a highly explosive liquified petroleum gas (LPG) tanker discharging in the port.
NOC Chairman Mustafa Sanalla said: “the attack on Tripoli port could have led to a humanitarian and environmental disaster and it will have a significant impact on a crowded region like Tripoli. The city does not have operational fuel storage facilities as the capital’s main storage warehouse was evacuated as a result of the fighting on Airport Road area, where the warehouse is located. The consequences will be immediate; hospitals, schools, power stations and other vital services will be disrupted. We condemn this behaviour in the strongest possible terms and ask the international community to intervene rapidly to prevent a serious escalation in the conflict and to allow NOC to manage fuel supplies.”
Following the attack, the LPG tanker and a gasoline tanker that were in Tripoli immediately left the port for safe waters.
NOC also mentioned that it is exploring alternative ways to supply Tripoli and its surroundings with fuel.