Fire burns at a major oil refinery that prompted Greek...

Fire burns at a major oil refinery that prompted Greek authorities to issue an evacuation alert for the surrounding area, near the seaside town of Agii Theodori, some 70 kilometers (40 miles) from Athens, Greece, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. Credit: AP/Vasilis Psomas

ATHENS, Greece — Three workers suffered light injuries during a fire Tuesday at a major oil refinery west of Athens that prompted Greek authorities to issue an evacuation alert for the surrounding area.

The blaze near the seaside town of Agii Theodori, some 70 kilometers (40 miles) from Athens, was contained following a large firefighting operation, authorities said.

Video shown on state ERT television showed clouds of black smoke billowing out of the refinery, which belongs to Greece's Motor Oil energy group. People living near the site were sent push alerts on their mobile phones to evacuate the area.

A Motor Oil statement said the three workers suffered light arm and hand injuries and were being treated in hospital.

The company said the cause of the fire was not immediately known.

The blaze caused the brief suspension of rail services between the capital and the southern Peloponnese region.

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