Fire at Qaladze gas plant injures two, destroys vehicles

QALADZE — A fire broke out Wednesday morning at a gas plant in Qaladze, a district in Sulaymaniyah’s Raparin Autonomous Administration, injuring two employees and destroying two gas distribution vehicles, according to local officials.

In a statement, the Pshdar District Governorate said the fire erupted in the plant’s gas compression unit and spread to nearby storage tanks. “Two employees were burned and injured, and were taken to the hospital,” the statement said, adding that the facility also suffered significant damage.

The cause of the fire is unknown, and an investigation is underway.

The incident follows a deadly fire on May 23, 2024, at the Nawroz Gas Plant on the Erbil-Kirkuk road, which killed three workers and injured others, including a plant guard and a tanker driver, who later died from their injuries.