Shakhawan Saeed, the spokesperson for the Erbil civil defense, told journalists that due to a short circuit cause by high electrical pressure, tanker trucks caught fire, four of them completely burned down.
The incident occurred at a truck parking area on the Erbil-Makhmour road, according to Saeed.
One person was slightly injured in the fire.
Fires are a perennial concern in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, where safety standards are subpar. Electrical faults and lack of basic safety measures are a major part of the problem.
Earlier this week, three people were severely injured after a fire broke out in a gas plant in Erbil.
A fire erupted at Erbil’s popular Qaysari Bazaar earlier this month, burning down a total of 227 shops and seven storage units. Over 100 people were injured due to the large fire according to Erbil’s governor’s office.
The fire at the Qaysari Bazaar was the second major fire in Erbil within a month. Flames engulfed the popular Langa Bazaar in April, burning down the textile and clothing section and causing millions of dollars in damage.
