Third person dies from injuries sustained in Nawroz gas plant fire

ERBIL – A third worker has died following injuries sustained in a fire last Wednesday at the Nawroz Gas Plant on the Erbil-Kirkuk road. This marks the third fatality from the incident, according to Sidad Ahmad, a relative of the deceased worker.

“After five days in the hospital, he passed away,” Ahmad told 964media. The latest victim was the third injured worker from the fire, following his brother, who succumbed to severe injuries just the day before.

The fire occurred on Thursday, May 23, 2024, injuring three individuals: a plant guard, his brother, and the tanker driver. The tanker driver was the first to pass away due to deteriorating health conditions two days after the incident. On Tuesday, the second worker died after suffering from 100% burns.

The road where the gas plant is located was temporarily closed due to the fire but has since reopened. The incident resulted in the burning of approximately 100 tons of liquefied petroleum gas. It was brought under control within about one hour by 15 civil defense teams.

This fire is part of a series of blazes that have struck Erbil, contributing to significant financial losses. The most devastating recent incident was on May 5 at the Qaysari Market, which destroyed 227 shops and seven warehouses, injuring 132 people.

Another major fire occurred on February 27 at the Langa Market, which resulted in the destruction of 185 shops and estimated losses of 6.75 billion Iraqi dinars ($5.15 million).

Additional fires this March included a blaze in the Northern Industrial Area on March 9, which destroyed a warehouse storing electrical goods. On March 13 and 27, fires damaged shops and warehouses in the Farmanbaran Bazaar and near Qushtapa, with losses nearing $1 million. Another fire at the Langa Market on April 8 affected 48 shops.