20 Injured as Destructive Fire Rips Through Vital Energy Distribution Hub Near Sulaimaniyah, Iraq
A huge fire broke out at a fuel storage area near Sulaimaniyah. The fire destroyed trucks and hurt about 20 people in the northern part of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region late on Monday night.
Firefighters spent hours trying to stop the fire at the Tanjaro industrial area as this place is very important for moving oil around the province. The fire caused clouds of smoke to spread through the region and there were several very strong explosions. However local officials said no one died in the fire.
Hersh Saeed Saleem, who is the Deputy Director General of Sulaimaniyah said that doctors treated 20 people. Most of them had problems from breathing in smoke and some small injuries. Local hospitals reported that at least two workers were badly burned and one of them is still in the hospital for care.
The fire broke out shortly before midnight within a warehouse complex used for storing refined petroleum products. The flames spread rapidly, sparking a chain reaction among parked vehicles.
According to official reports, the blaze incinerated 34 gasoline tankers and four specialized gas-oil tankers, with more than 3 million liters of refined fuel consumed before responders isolated the danger zone.
Civil defense units from Sulaimaniyah, assisted by emergency teams from neighboring Erbil, led the containment efforts.
Shaho Osman, Deputy Governor of Sulaimaniyah, confirmed on Tuesday morning that the site had been brought under control, successfully preventing the fire from reaching adjacent industrial properties.
Regional security forces have established a perimeter around the damaged facility, which is owned by local businessman Sheikh Abdullah, as an investigation into the cause of the blast continues. A full assessment of the economic losses resulting from the destruction has yet to be issued by civil defense authorities.
Despite the significant loss of inventory and transport assets, representatives from the regional petroleum sector offered reassurances regarding the stability of the supply chain.
Ramyar Rizgar, a spokesperson for the Sulaimaniyah fuel market, joined site management in stating that the incident is not expected to cause immediate shortages or impact pump prices for consumers.
