A hydrogen tank explosion at a power plant in western Syria killed three people on Tuesday, an electricity company official said. Alaa Sawda, head of the Syrian Electricity Company's media department told the official SANA news agency that "the explosion at the Banias thermal power plant was caused by maintenance work on the hydrogen tank, and occurred during the replacement of the tank's float valve, resulting in the death of three workers". "The station continues its operations and was not affected by the explosion," he added. SANA had initially reported "an explosion in the thermal power plant in Banias" with the cause under investigation. It cited a regional health official as saying the blast resulted in three deaths. Banias's thermal plant, located in the western Tartus province, is one of the most important electrical facilities in Syria. Syria's dilapidated electricity sector suffered heavy blows during the country's civil war with heavy damage to its infrastructure, leading to power cuts that can last up to 20 hours a day. Since the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in 2024, the new Syrian authorities have repeatedly vowed to increase electricity production.
