Fire at Basra airport contained without injuries or flight disruption

BASRA — A fire that broke out Tuesday at Basra International Airport was fully contained without injuries and did not disrupt passenger traffic or flights, airport authorities said.

The airport administration said the fire occurred outside the passenger terminal, in property belonging to one of the companies operating at the airport. “The fire department managed to bring it under control and extinguish it completely without recording any injuries, and it did not affect the airport’s facilities,” the statement said, adding that conditions were “normal and safe” and that flights were continuing on schedule.

Earlier Tuesday, a security source told 964media the fire broke out in one of the main warehouses belonging to a company contracted to rehabilitate and operate the airport. The source said the warehouse held screening devices, rehabilitation equipment and other tools related to airport operations, and that preliminary indications pointed to an electrical short circuit. The extent of the damage has not been determined.

Basra is Iraq’s main southern port city, on the Shatt al-Arab waterway near the Gulf, and the center of the country’s oil industry. Its airport is one of Iraq’s principal international airports alongside Baghdad, Erbil and Najaf.

The fire is the latest in a series across Iraq in recent weeks, many linked by authorities to electrical faults or inadequate fire safety. Earlier this month, a fire at the Rabia border crossing in western Nineveh destroyed three cargo trucks, and the Baghdad Operations Command urged residents to follow Civil Defense guidance to prevent fires during the summer heat. 964media reports have documented repeated fires in commercial buildings, markets, fuel stations and warehouses, with Civil Defense often citing electrical faults, flammable materials and safety violations.