Two suffer chlorine inhalation in Kirkuk water station leak

KIRKUK — A chlorine gas leak at a water pumping station in the Dubz district of Kirkuk on Friday resulted in two cases of suffocation and fainting, according to a medical source who spoke to 964media.

The victims—a worker in the oil sector and a member of the Oil Police—were exposed to chlorine gas released from a cylinder at the site. Both were transported to the Dubz Health Center and admitted to the emergency department. They remain under medical observation, the source said.

Chlorine is widely used in Iraq’s water treatment facilities to disinfect drinking water and eliminate harmful bacteria and viruses. However, leaks caused by improper storage, equipment failure, or corrosion can pose serious health risks, including poisoning, respiratory distress, and asphyxiation when inhaled in significant concentrations.

Similar incidents have occurred repeatedly in recent years. In August, 621 people in Karbala required medical treatment following a chlorine gas leak from a water department facility along the Karbala–Najaf road. Authorities said the situation was brought under control without major property damage.

On June 30, a leak in the Jubail neighborhood of Fallujah’s Salah al-Din district caused inhalation problems for 75 individuals. Officials blamed a ruptured pipe at the treatment plant and said patients were treated at Fallujah Teaching Hospital.

Another chlorine incident on Oct. 13, 2024, at the Bani Saad water project in Diyala governorate led to 20 cases of poisoning and asphyxiation. Authorities attributed the leak to corrosion in gas cylinder valves and said civil defense teams neutralized the risk by submerging the leaking containers in water.