Oil wells at Qayyara still ablaze, despite Iraqi claims fires coming under control
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – A Rudaw correspondent reported from the city of Qayyara that oil wells set ablaze by retreating Islamic State (ISIS) forces continued to burn on Tuesday, despite claims by Iraq’s deputy oil minister that the fires were coming under control.
“At least five oil wells have been burning in Qayyara for a week and flames have travelled through several neighborhoods in the town,” Rudaw reporter Nabard Hussein said from the scene.
He added that the town’s inhabitants have been appealing to the Iraqi government through the media to put out the fire as soon as possible.
A firefighting team told Rudaw that it did not have the “necessary equipment to control the burning oil.”
Reuters quoted Iraq’s deputy oil minister as saying that four of the fires had been extinguished and work was underway to put out the rest.
While retreating from Qayyara last week, ISIS set fire to oil wells there that have been blazing ever since, covering neighborhoods with thick black smoke and a thick sludge of crude covering alleyways.
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