Oil tanker explosion spurs massive fire; cause is unknown

DAMASCUS, Syria — An explosion Tuesday in an oil tanker outside a state fuel distribution company in central Syria caused a massive fire, state media reported. It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion. Video aired by state news agency SANA showed huge plumes of smoke and high flames rising in the dark over a large swath of land. Firefighters were shown battling to contain the raging fire.

The minister of oil told Syrian state TV that seven tankers caught fire but there were no civilian casualties. The governor of Homs province said the explosion happened when crude oil was being unloaded from the tanker.