A witness described the chaotic scene of a massive fire at an oil refinery in Irbil, northern Iraq, which has been raging since Wednesday night. Fakhir Talib, a local resident, recounted hearing an explosion and seeing a large fire engulfing the refinery.
“Several fire engines and firefighter teams came but they couldn’t do anything,” Talib said, highlighting the scale of the blaze that overwhelmed the initial response.
The regional civil defense department reported that at least 10 firefighters were injured while combating the fire, with many suffering from breathing difficulties due to the thick smoke. The fire also destroyed three fire trucks, adding to the challenges faced by the emergency teams.
The inferno broke out at an asphalt storage facility within the refinery, located on the Irbil-Gwer main road. Over 40 firefighter teams were mobilized to battle the flames, as thick smoke billowed into the sky, obscuring parts of the city.
In an effort to support the firefighting efforts, municipality water trucks rushed to supply fire trucks with water. Despite these efforts, the fire continued to rage.
An official from the Kurdistan Regional Government, speaking anonymously, informed The Associated Press that the fire was caused by an electrical fault and was not deliberate. This clarification helped to dispel concerns of foul play.
The refinery is one of the largest in Irbil and is crucial for the production of gasoline, kerosene, and white oil. It boasts extensive storage facilities and operates as a joint venture between the regional government and a private company.
A worker at the refinery disclosed to The AP that the site houses around 40 fuel tanks, each with a capacity of 18,000 liters, and that half of these tanks were on fire. This extensive fuel supply posed a significant risk and further complicated the firefighting efforts.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation, and efforts to fully extinguish the fire are ongoing. The incident underscores the potential hazards associated with large-scale industrial operations and the need for robust emergency response measures.
