Monday's massive fire at the al-Shuaiba oil refinery in Kuwait shut down facilities that produce a fifth of the country's oil — 930,000 barrels per day. There's still no official word on the cause of the fire.
All personnel were evacuated and no casualties were reported, so it's hard to picture the extent of the damage. But a video uploaded on YouTube shows just how big the explosion was, making you marvel at the fact that the facilities were the only casualty in the mess.
Ahmad al-Jimaz, acting CEO of the Kuwait National Petroleum Company, said the fire started shortly before noon on Monday but personnel were put on maximum alert and set the "emergency plan" in motion.
Like the rest of the GCC, Kuwait largely relies on oil for economic growth. Half of the country's GDP is dependent on oil despite international experts calling on OPEC to diversify its revenue streams.
Here's the footage that captures the extent of the damage in the Shuaiba Industrial Area.
By Hayat Norimine
