Major Fire Erupts at Erbil Oil Refinery

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Late Wednesday, a significant fire ignited at the asphalt storage area of an oil refinery situated along the Erbil-Gwer road. No casualties have been reported, and efforts to control the fire are ongoing.

Due to the fire’s intensity, about a dozen firefighting units are working to extinguish the flames.

The cause of the blaze is still unknown.

Rudaw has found that there are multiple other refineries in the area surrounding the one currently ablaze.

An eyewitness informed Rudaw that one individual was injured and many others experienced breathing issues, but Rudaw has not been able to independently confirm this information.

“I was near the refinery when I heard a loud explosion. It was a big bang,” the eyewitness recounted.

Fire incidents frequently occur in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

In October, a fire at an asphalt factory near Arbat town in eastern Sulaimani resulted in the death of one worker and injuries to three others.

According to statistics from the Kurdistan Region Police Directorate, there were 7,546 fire incidents recorded across the Region in 2022.

Image source: Rudaw