A massive fire broke out at an asphalt storage facility of an oil refinery located on Erbil-Gwer road late on Wednesday. The blaze has yet to be brought under control and no casualties have been reported.
The burning refinery is located along a road where several other refineries are also present, sparking greater fear if the blaze was to spread.
At least 35 civil defense teams are hard at work in attempts to control the fire, with three fire engines and four tanker trucks having been burned in the process, the civil defense told Rudaw.
At least ten people were injured as a result of the blaze and are experiencing breathing difficulties, said Rudaw’s reporter on the ground.
It is expected to take a long time to control the fire as it will be difficult to extinguish until all the fuel in the facility is burned, according to preliminary information.
A massive fire has been raging on in an oil refinery on Erbil-Gwer road for more than 12 hours. Over 35 civil defense teams are working on controlling the blaze.
— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) June 13, 2024
📸: Bilind T. Abdullah/Rudaw pic.twitter.com/BT1Widfnw1
Fires are a perennial concern in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region where safety standards are often lacking. They are especially frequent in the summertime, with the scorching summer heat increasing risks of fires breaking out.
Safety standards are also often ignored in the country, and buildings lack adequate fire extinguishers and emergency facilities such as evacuation routes.
In October, a fire broke out in an asphalt factory near Sulaimani province’s Arbat town, killing one worker and injuring three others.
In a village in southern Sulaimani on Sunday, a massive fire killed around 300 livestock.
In Baghdad on the same day, a warehouse built with illegal, highly-flammable material caught fire and killed four foreign workers.
A fire erupted at Erbil’s famous Qaysari Bazaar in May, burning down a total of 227 shops and seven storage units. Over 100 people were injured due to the large fire.
The Qaysari fire was the second major fire in Erbil within a month. Flames engulfed the popular Langa Bazaar in April, burning down the textile and clothing section and causing millions of dollars in damages.
A total of 7,546 fire incidents were recorded across the Kurdistan Region in 2022, according to data from the Region’s Police Directorate.
