2024-06-14 21:35:27
A fireplace at a big crude oil tank broke out on Wednesday evening and later unfold to a second oil refinery on the highway southwest of Erbil, the capital of the autonomous northern Kurdistan area, the civil protection company mentioned.
Thick plumes of black smoke and balls of orange flame rose into the sky above the article, an AFP photographer mentioned.
The civil safety company mentioned the fireplace, which was attributable to an unknown trigger, “began at one oil refinery and unfold to a different.” As of Thursday night, it was reported that the fireplace was totally contained and the encircling oil refineries had been not at risk.
150 firefighters had been mobilized to extinguish the flames, 14 of them had been injured, two are in “vital” situation. Arbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw mentioned three firefighters had been being handled in hospital for burns and one other 10 had been affected by respiration issues. He mentioned the principle storage tank contained greater than 5,000 tons of gas, with harm estimated at $8 million. US {dollars}.
The Arbil Civil Protection reported that 4 gas tanks and three hearth engines had been burnt. The governor added that “we nonetheless do not know what brought on” the fireplace, however it might have been attributable to {an electrical} quick circuit. As well as, the power didn’t meet any security requirements set by the Civil Protection Company, officers mentioned.
Iraq is affected by sweltering warmth, with many fires in current weeks affecting procuring malls, warehouses and hospitals. Iraq is likely one of the largest oil producers on the earth, with crude oil gross sales accounting for 90 %. finances earnings. Nonetheless, exports from Kurdistan have been suspended for greater than a 12 months resulting from authorized and technical points.
2024-06-14 21:35:27