Army: Accident caused Iraqi pipeline fire, 4 Critically Injured
According to the Kuwaiti news agency (KUNA) four of the Iraqis injured in the pipeline fire were in critical condition.
BAGHDAD, April 26 (UPI) — An accident caused the oil pipeline fire in southern Baghdad this week that left eight Iraqis injured, the U.S. Army said Saturday.
While an initial report blamed the fire on a militant attack, a subsequent statement from the U.S. Army denied there was an attack, saying it was simply an accident, KUNA reported.
The Army’s report was confirmed by Maj. Gen. Raed Jawad, head of operations in Karbala.
“The fire was an accident caused by maintenance workers,” Jawad said.
Both Jawad and the U.S. Army confirmed the Friday’s fire had been controlled by firefighters.
A unidentified medical source told the Kuwaiti news agency four of the Iraqis injured in the pipeline fire were in critical condition.
Source: upi.com via politisite
BAGHDAD (AFP) — An explosion that blew up an Iraqi oil pipeline south of Baghdad was caused accidentally, the US military said on Saturday, adding the firefighters had contained a blaze sparked by the blast.
On Friday, an Iraqi police officer in Babil province said the pipeline had been bombed and 10 guards were wounded in an attack near the town of Musayyib, south of Baghdad.
But the American military said the explosion had been an accident.
“The fire was caused accidentally by maintenance personnel,” it said in a statement quoting Major General Ra’ad Jawad, commander of Karbala Operations Command.
It said the explosion injured eight Iraqi workers and that the fire was contained at 1:30 am (2230 GMT on Friday).
It was the second time in the past year that the pipeline has been damaged. Last June an explosion damaged it close to the nearby town of Iskandiriyah.
Source: afp.google.com via politisite
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