A blast in southeast Turkey prompted the closure of a major oil pipeline
A Turkish state-run petroleum firm has cut off the flow of oil from the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline following a mysterious explosion and the resulting blaze, with the aftermath reportedly caught in images circulating online.
The explosion rocked a section of the pipeline in Turkey’s southeastern province of Kahramanmaras on Tuesday night, about 108 miles (175 kilometers) from the line’s terminal in Ceyhan, the BOTAS Petroleum Pipeline Corporation said in a statement. The cause of the blast remains unclear.
“There was an explosion for an unknown reason, and a fire occurred as a result. The oil flow was immediately stopped by BOTAS teams and technical safety measures were taken,” the firm said, adding “the line valves closest to the scene were closed” and that “many fire trucks, emergency response teams and related units are intervening.”
Photos and videos making the rounds on social media purported to show the flames following the blast, with thick clouds of black smoke seen billowing over the horizon as first responders poured into the area.
BORU HATTINDA PATLAMA
Kahramanmaraş'a bağlı Pazarcık ilçesinde yer alan petrol boru hattında patlama meydana geldi. Olayın ardından Kahramanmaraş-Gaziantep kara yolu trafiğe kapatıldı. pic.twitter.com/y0qUAJdQ3R
— Fatma Sert (@ffatmasertt) January 18, 2022