14 firefighting teams contain oil tank blaze southeast of Baghdad

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Civil Defense teams brought a large fire at oil storage tanks in Nahrawan area, southeast of Baghdad, under control on Tuesday, with no injuries reported, the Civil Defense Directorate said.

The tanks contained black oil designated for use by brick factories in the area, according to a statement from the directorate. Fourteen specialized and supporting firefighting teams took part in the operation.

The directorate said firefighters entered the affected tank area directly to reach the sources of the blaze. The teams surrounded and extinguished the fire and prevented it from spreading to neighboring tanks.

A forensic evidence expert was called to the site to conduct a technical examination and collect samples to determine the cause of the fire and complete legal procedures.

A week ago, 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, Sulaymaniyah, 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.

Earlier this month, a fire tore through the medicine warehouse at al-Fayhaa Teaching Hospital in central Basra, burning its contents, with 25 firefighting teams sent to put it out and no casualties reported, the Civil Defense Directorate said.

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.