Syria is working to extinct a fire that broke out in its principal Homs refinery in the west of the country, state media reported on Sunday.

A leak in a pumping station caused the fire to erupt in a distilling unit, it said without elaboration.

State TV broadcasted live coverage with Black smoke plumes of the fire engulfing the refinery as firefighters coped with the flames.

There was a large fire and blast at Homs in January this year involving a nearby crude oil loading station and dozens of trucks that transport petroleum products across the country.

Both Homs refinery and Bania on the Mediterranean coast have experienced shortfalls in the supply of Iranian crude oil to the penalized country, which relies primarily on Teheran for its energy needs, in recent months.

Syria has faced two months of petrol and fuel shortages over the past year, forcing rationing supplies across government-owned areas and using several rounds of steep price increases.