A fire at an oil refinery in the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas killed at least one person and injured three, state media said Thursday.

A furnace at the refinery caught fire as it was being repaired at about 11 a.m local time, state TV reports. A 38-year-old man was killed and the three people injured were taken to hospital, where they are receiving treatment, state TV said. One of the three is said to be in critical condition.

In July, a fire at the same refinery injured eight firefighters after two oil tanks in a tank farm caught fire.

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Similar fires have been reported from time to time at the port, which is located at the mouth of strategic Strait of Hormuz, as well as at other oil facilities in Iran.

The port is one of Iran's most important sites for imports and exports.

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Authorities blamed similar incidents on decades of sanctions on Iranian industries, as well as hot summer weather in past years.