Massive fire engulfs oil refinery in Erbil, Kurdistan Region

Baghdad: The Iraqi Civil Defense Forces, early Thursday, reported a massive fire breaking out inside an oil refinery in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region. Thirty-six fire trucks are currently deployed to extinguish the blaze. A Civil Defense official in Erbil informed the Jordan News Agency (Petra) that an unexpected explosion of an oil tanker inside the refinery, located in southern Erbil, triggered the fire. The incident occurred in the "Al-Kuwer" area, and the flames quickly spread to the refinery's tanks, causing further explosions. The official highlighted the challenges faced by the firefighting teams, noting that the area contains hundreds of warehouses and oil refineries involved in extracting and refining black oil. The density of these facilities complicates the efforts to control and extinguish the fire rapidly. Despite these difficulties, more than 36 fire trucks are actively working to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to nearby refineries. The official also reported th at eight Civil Defense personnel sustained varying degrees of injuries and suffocation while attempting to combat the fire. Source: Jordan News Agency