An explosion occurred at an oil refinery in Hungary: one person was killed and others were injured
22 May 11:54
An explosion occurred at the MOL Petrolkémia plant in Tiszaújváros, Hungary. According to preliminary reports, one person was killed and several others were seriously injured. This was announced by Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar, according to "Komersant Ukrainian"
According to available information, the fire has been contained, and rescue workers, fire departments, and specialists are on site investigating the cause of the explosion.
What happened at the MOL facility
According to reports, the explosion occurred at the Mol Petrolkémia facility in Tiszaújváros. MOL stated that the incident occurred during the restart of the Olefin 1 plant.
A fire broke out following the explosion.
Several fire trucks arrived at the scene, and a mobile laboratory was also dispatched to monitor the situation.
According to Telex, several fire trucks are working at the scene, and a mobile laboratory has been dispatched there. Eyewitnesses also saw a rescue service helicopter.
One person killed and others injured
According to preliminary reports, one person was killed in the explosion.
Several others have suffered serious injuries.
“An explosion occurred at the MOL plant in Tiszaújváros. One person was killed, and several others were seriously injured,” the Hungarian Prime Minister reported.
Information about their condition is being clarified.
Experts and law enforcement agencies must determine the exact circumstances of the accident, specifically what caused the explosion during the plant’s restart.
Is there a threat to the public?
Tiszaújváros Mayor György Fülöp stated that there is currently no need for additional civil protection measures for the public. According to him, local authorities are in constant contact with emergency response service leaders and MOL representatives.
A spokesperson for the emergency response service of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County also reported that a mobile laboratory has been dispatched to the site to monitor the situation.
What is known about the Olefin 1 plant
The Olefin 1 plant is part of the MOL petrochemical complex in Tiszaújváros. According to Tiszaújváros’s safety documentation, Olefin 1 was built in 1975 and is the largest of the MOL Group’s three olefin plants. It plays a key role in supplying raw materials to polymer production, butadiene production, aromatic production, and other petrochemical sectors.
Tiszaújváros is one of MOL’s key industrial centers in the petrochemical sector. The MOL Group has also been developing new propylene production projects there, notably through the construction of a plant with an annual capacity of 100,000 tons of propylene.
What is MOL
MOL Group is Hungary’s largest oil and gas company and one of the key energy players in Central Europe. The company operates in the fields of exploration, production, refining, petrochemicals, fuel retail, and energy services.
In its integrated annual report, MOL notes that the company reports financial and non-financial results in accordance with international standards and plays a significant role in the region’s energy market.
MOL and Ukraine: Why the Company Matters to the Region
MOL is linked to Ukraine primarily through the issue of oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline. Hungary has historically been heavily dependent on Russian oil supplies, and the route through Ukraine was one of the key routes for supplying the Hungarian market.
In 2025, MOL mentioned the fire at the refinery in Szalhalombatta in its annual report as the largest such incident in the company’s history, noting that the fire was successfully contained without any casualties.
Previous accident at the MOL refinery
In October 2025, a fire broke out at MOL’s largest Hungarian oil refinery in Szazhalombatta. The fire occurred at the Danube Refinery. According to European media reports, there were no casualties, and no threats to surrounding communities were reported.
MOL later reported that the fire at the Danube Refinery in October 2025 was caused by equipment malfunction.
The current incident in Tiszaújváros occurred at the MOL Petrolkémia petrochemical site, not at the Danube Refinery.
