This handout photo taken and released by Giuliana Elakis on April 16, 2026 shows a fire at the Viva Oil Refinery in Geelong

This handout photo taken and released by Giuliana Elakis on April 16, 2026 shows a fire at the Viva Oil Refinery in Geelong

Towering columns of fire have engulfed a crucial Australian oil refinery after a chain of explosions, authorities said Thursday as they warned of disruptions to domestic fuel supply.

Flames as tall as 60 metres (200 feet) erupted late Wednesday night after a gas leak caught fire at the Viva fuel plant in Victoria state, firefighters said, one of only two working oil refineries in Australia.

Originally published on doc.afp.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.

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