Massive Blaze Engulfs Fuel Storage Depot Near Iraq’s Sulaimaniyah, Destroying Dozens of Tankers

A massive fire recently swept through a fuel storage facility close to the city of Sulaimaniyah in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq, leaving several individuals injured and decimating dozens of tankers.

Footage documenting Monday’s fire, which was verified by Al Jazeera, captured intense flames and dense plumes of smoke billowing over the northern Iraqi city. Hersh Saeed Saleem, serving as the deputy director general of Sulaimaniyah, informed the Rudaw Media Network that there were no fatalities, though roughly 20 people sustained minor injuries. Meanwhile, Shafaq News reported two distinct burn cases, with one patient needing hospital care.

According to Rudaw, the blaze erupted shortly before midnight inside a warehouse located in the Tanjaro area, which serves as a primary fuel supply hub for the province. As the fire intensified, emergency responders and security forces hurried to the location while multiple explosions echoed across the facility as the flames advanced.

Citing a local source, Shafaq News noted that the incident destroyed 34 petrol tankers along with four gas-oil tankers, consuming upwards of 3 million litres of fuel in total. Shaho Osman, the Deputy Governor of Sulaimaniyah, confirmed that the fire has since been successfully contained. At this time, the exact trigger of the blaze is still unknown.

Civil defence units from Sulaimaniyah spearheaded the containment operations, and backup teams based in the city of Erbil stood ready to provide assistance if requested. Government officials have not yet published a comprehensive damage evaluation for the property. Addressing local concerns, Ramyar Rizgar, who is the spokesperson for the Sulaimaniyah fuel market, along with Sheikh Abdullah, the owner of the warehouse, stated to Rudaw that they anticipate no rise in regional petrol prices as a result of the incident.