Several injured after huge fire breaks out at oil refinery in Iraq's Erbil, dramatic videos go viral (WATCH)
A massive fire at an oil refinery in Iraqi Kurdistan's Erbil has injured at least 10 people, including firefighters who are actively battling the blaze, the civil defense agency reported on Thursday.
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FollowA massive fire at an oil refinery in Iraqi Kurdistan has injured at least 10 people, including firefighters who are actively battling the blaze, the civil defense agency reported on Thursday. The fire began in an asphalt tank on Wednesday night and quickly spread to a second refinery located on a road southwest of Erbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdistan region.
Firefighters worked through the night to extinguish the flames, which sent thick plumes of black smoke and bright orange flames into the sky, as captured by several photographs and videos on social media. The efforts to control the fire are ongoing as of Thursday.
"More than 10 people were injured, mainly men from the Erbil civil defence," the agency said in a statement, noting three fire trucks were burned.
The cause of the blaze remains unknown, according to officials.
"The fire started in one refinery before spreading to another," the statement said. Four fuel tanks have been affected.
Iraq, which experiences scorching summers, has faced multiple fires in recent weeks, impacting shopping centers, warehouses, and hospitals.
However, exports from the Kurdistan region have been halted for over a year due to a dispute over legal and technical issues.
