ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Two people were killed and two others injured when a car’s gas system exploded inside a house in the Kurdistan Region’s northern Duhok province, local officials told Rudaw on Thursday. Haytham Barbhari, head of Duhok emergency services, said the explosion occurred in Bastik village along the Duhok-Zakho road, northwest of the province. Rudaw’s Haider Doski, who visited the house, reported “extensive damage to the property.” He said the vehicle in question “had been converted from gasoline to a gas fuel system,” though the exact cause of the blast remains under investigation. Eyewitnesses said the victims were two brothers, Said Islah and Mohammed Islah, aged between 13 and 20. To reduce fuel costs, some car owners in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq are converting gasoline-powered vehicles to run on cleaner-burning alternatives such as compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). However, these modifications carry risks - including potential engine damage, reduced performance, and, most critically, the danger of fire or explosion if the system is not installed properly. Police have launched an investigation into the incident.
