Sparks from a coalition helicopter hovering over the west of the southern Iraqi city of Basra on Tuesday caused a major fire at a large oil refinery, the Iraqi Ministry of Petroleum said, according to DPA. Sources told the Iraqi news agency Voice of Iraq (VOI) that sparks from the flying helicopter interacted with gases of the petrol purifications taking place around the refinery, sparking many blazes in the area. The fire started at two units producing gasoline and spread to other parts of the refinery. Firefighting vehicles and civil defence units converged on the scene from all over Basra province. Shuaiba refinery - the largest in southern Iraq - has frequently been targeted by insurgents who are seeking to disrupt Iraq's efforts to restore oil production to full capacity.
