A large fire burns at a fuel depot near Tanjaro in Sulaimaniyah late Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. The blaze and subsequent explosions injured more than 20 people and caused extensive damage.
More than 20 injured as fuel depot explodes near Sulaymaniyah
SULAYMANIYAH — More than 20 people were injured when a fire and a series of explosions tore through a fuel depot in the Nawgrdan area near Tanjaro late Monday, with one tank still alight on Tuesday morning and officials warning of further blasts.
The depot held about 3 million litres of gasoline and three gas tankers, according to initial information. The explosions threw debris hundreds of metres from the site, and footage recorded by a 964media reporter showed several burned-out tanks and extensive destruction across the facility. The cause is not known.
Civil defense sent 14 teams and brought most of the fire under control overnight, spokesperson Aram Ali said, adding that several members of the Tanjaro response teams were among the injured. Saman Nadir of Sulaymaniyah’s Rapid Response Center said about 13 emergency teams were treating casualties.
Bahman Qadir, spokesperson for Sulaymaniyah’s petrol stations, said the site was a large depot storing gasoline with asphalt factories around it, which added to the scale of the fire. He said the number of storage tanks there was not immediately known because the people who worked at the site had been injured and taken to hospital.
Civil defense has warned journalists and residents to keep away while the remaining fire and the damaged tanks continue to pose a risk of further explosions.