Massive blaze destroys crisp factory in Erbil
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A massive fire broke out at a crisp factory in Erbil early Tuesday morning, with firefighters still struggling to bring the blaze under control.
Due to the scale of the fire, a large number of firefighting teams have been deployed to the scene.
No casualties have been reported, an official from the Erbil Civil Defense Directorate told Rudaw.
“The entire factory has caught fire,” said Shakhawan Saeed, spokesperson for the civil defense. “Twenty teams are battling the blaze.”
The cause of the fire remains unclear. However, Saeed noted that the factory lacked basic safety measures.
“The factory does not have any safety standards at all," the spokesperson said.
The factory owner told Rudaw that initial assessments suggest he lost around $30 million due to the fire.
“The damage is around $30 million,” the owner said, adding that between 150 and 200 people were working at the factory.
Fires remain a persistent concern across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, where safety regulations are often poorly enforced. Many buildings lack essential fire prevention equipment, such as fire extinguishers, and do not have proper emergency infrastructure, including evacuation routes and emergency exits.
[Source: Rûdaw English]
