At least two workers were killed and five others were seriously injured today, Sunday, following a fire that broke out in a pipeline at the Zubair oil field south of Iraq, according to officials at the field, as reported by Reuters.
The officials explained that the fire broke out while workers were performing welding operations near the pipeline, which transports crude oil from the field to nearby storage facilities. The fire resulted in serious burns to some workers, and some of them are still in critical condition, raising concerns about a rise in the number of casualties. A field official confirmed that oil production has not been affected so far and amounts to about 400,000 barrels per day, but he stressed the importance of extinguishing the fire quickly to avoid any partial suspension of some loading operations. Iraqi media reported that the incident occurred at site "Burgisiya" number 1 in the Zubair district as a result of the explosion of a turbine, which led to the deaths and injuries. Firefighters continue their efforts to control the fire and prevent its spread to other parts of the vital pipelines.
