Two workers killed in Sulaymaniyah roof explosion

SULAYMANIYAH — The owner of a house in Sulaymaniyah’s Zanko neighborhood was arrested after an oil tank explosion on Friday killed two workers during waterproofing work, local labor representatives said Saturday.

Osman Zindani, head of the Construction Workers’ Syndicate, told 964media that “the family of one of the workers arrived to receive his body,” confirming the arrest after police conducted an investigation at the site.

The explosion occurred when an oil tank stored on the house’s roof ignited while two men were applying isogam material. “The tank caught fire and exploded,” Zindani said. “One of the workers died instantly, and the second succumbed to his injuries shortly afterward.”

Both victims were from Iranian Kurdistan. “The family of one worker from Saqqez came to Sulaymaniyah to retrieve the body and arrange for its transfer, while the family of the second worker from Kermanshah has not yet arrived,” Zindani said.

Zindani said the syndicate cannot file a legal complaint itself, but the victims’ families have the right to pursue legal action. “By law, we cannot submit a complaint, but the victims’ relatives can file a case as their legal representatives to seek an investigation into the cause of death,” he said.

The explosion also caused damage to nearby houses and vehicles. A resident whose property was affected told 964media, “We heard a very loud sound and thought it was a drone or a plane, but it turned out to be the neighbor’s oil tank that exploded and scattered debris all around.”