Eight workers injured in Bosnia oil refinery blast

An explosion at a Russian-owned oil refinery in Bosnia slightly injured eight workers late Tuesday, local television reported citing officials.

The blast at the plant in the northern town of Brod, on the border with Croatia, occurred around 1930 GMT (9:30 pm), RTRS television reported, citing the head of the municipality, Ilija Jovicic.

The cause of the explosion at Bosnia's sole oil refinery, which sparked a fire, was not immediately known.

Firefighters were sent to the scene and brought the blaze under control, RTRS reported.

Eight workers, who sustained minor injuries, were treated by the local health centre, its head Zoran Predojevic told RTRS.

The Russian state-controlled Zarubezneft oil company holds a majority stake in the Brod refinery, which can handle up to 1.2 million tonnes of crude oil per year.