On July 29, the Ministry of Emergency Situations held tactical and special exercises at the Belorusneft-Minskoblnefteprodukt oil depot in Fanipal, Minsk Region, to practice responding to a major emergency.
According to the exercise scenario, the incident was triggered by the simulated crash of a drone, followed by an explosion and a fire involving a 1,000-cubic-metre AI-92 gasoline storage tank. Under the scenario, there was a risk of the fire spreading to nearby fuel tanks.
More than 50 rescuers and 17 pieces of specialized equipment took part in the exercise. After receiving the alert, Ministry of Emergency Situations units began cooling the burning tank and adjacent tanks, while the facility’s volunteer fire brigade provided first aid to a simulated casualty before handing the person over to medical personnel.
A firefighting command post was established at the scene. Operations were divided into three sectors: cooling the burning tank, protecting adjacent facilities and preparing a foam attack. The final stage involved applying firefighting foam, after which the simulated fire was contained and extinguished.
“During the exercise, which was aimed at testing preparedness for responding to emergencies, all participating units demonstrated a high level of coordinated action. As a result of the exercise, the simulated fire was successfully contained and extinguished within the established timeframe,” the ministry’s press service said.
The exercise was led by Siarhei Lapanovich, head of the Minsk Region Department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and Vitaly Piakuryn, the department’s first deputy head.
The ministry also recalled a major fire at the same oil depot in October 1997. At that time, following a fire and explosion involving a gasoline storage tank, there was a risk of the blaze spreading to dozens of other fuel tanks. Firefighting units from Minsk Region and the city of Minsk, specialized rescue teams and a firefighting train were deployed to extinguish the fire.
The Fanipal oil depot has a total storage capacity of 86,000 cubic metres across 30 tanks. Its infrastructure includes pumping stations and a railway loading rack capable of handling up to 30 tank cars simultaneously.
