Massive blaze erupts at Erbil oil refinery

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A massive fire broke out at the asphalt storage facility of an oil refinery located on Erbil-Gwer road late Wednesday. No casualties have been reported. The blaze has yet to be controlled. 

Due to the massiveness of the blaze, around a dozen firefighting teams are trying to put it out.  

The cause of the fire remains unclear. 

Rudaw has learned that several other refineries are located in the vicinity of the burning refinery. 

An eyewitness told Rudaw that one person was injured and many others suffered from breathing problems but Rudaw could not independently verify the information. 

“I was close to the refinery. When I heard the sound [of the explosion]. There was a big bang,” he said. 

Fire incidents are common in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. 

A fire broke out at an asphalt factory near Arbat town in the east of Sulaimani in October, killing one worker and injuring three others. 

According to data from the Kurdistan Region Police Directorate, a total of 7,546 fire incidents were recorded across the Region in 2022.


Updated at 11:25 pm