18 injured in explosion, fire at fuel depot in Sulaymaniyah

A massive explosion rocked the Tangaro area of Sulaymaniyah province in southern Kurdistan early today, followed by a large fire inside a private petroleum products depot, sending thick flames and smoke into the air and causing a series of explosions to be heard from the site.

According to circulating information, the explosion occurred at a site containing warehouses, several vehicles and fuel-loaded tankers. The causes of the fire and explosion have not yet been determined.

Hirsh Salim, deputy director general of health in Sulaymaniyah province, told media outlets that the incident injured 18 people, with no deaths reported, adding that the injured received the necessary medical care.

Media sources reported that large numbers of civil defense and emergency teams headed to the site to extinguish the flames. Security authorities urged residents to stay away from the area because of the presence of fuel-loaded tankers and vehicles and the risk of additional explosions.

Video footage from the scene showed dense flames rising high into the air, while clouds of smoke covered the sky over the area as firefighting operations continued.

The depot is located in the Tangaro area, away from residential areas, according to available information. Authorities have not yet announced the direct cause of the fire or whether the explosion resulted from a technical malfunction or an incident involving one of the vehicles or fuel tanks.

The incident follows a series of gas and fuel-related accidents in Sulaymaniyah in recent years, most notably a gas tank explosion in the Kaziwa neighborhood in 2022 that later resulted in the deaths of 15 people and injuries to 12 others, according to official and media reports at the time.

Civil defense teams are continuing cooling and safety operations at the site as investigations are completed to determine the cause of the explosion and the extent of the damage. 

A-H 

ANHA