TRIPOLI, July 28 (RIA NOVOSTI), Mark Hirst – The main petroleum storage facility that supplies Libyan capital Tripoli has caught fire and may explode unless the international community can provide resources to help extinguish the flames, a medical professional in the city has told RIA Novosti.
“Yesterday the main oil reservoir containing more than six million liters of gasoline caught fire. This reservoir provides Tripoli with the majority of its fuel. The local population have been ordered to evacuate the area to a distance of 5km as there is a big risk of an explosion,” Abdo Rashed, who runs a private medical practice in Tripoli, told RIA Novosti.
Rashed said international assistance would be needed to tackle a major fire at Tripoli’s main fuel depot which had caught alight following a bombardment.
“There are Libyan firemen trying to tackle the blaze, but it is likely we will need help from the international community to extinguish the fire,” he stressed.
The fire was caused by fierce fighting between the Muslim Brotherhood backed Misrata Brigade and the al-Qaqaa Brigade, one of the most powerful Islamist militias operating in Libya, which also led to widespread destruction.
“For more than two weeks the Misrata militias have been bombing the area near to Tripoli’s main airport,” Rashed said.
“They have 106 tanks and heavy weapons and are trying to take control of the army camps which are located at the airport. The road out to the airport is dangerous and the fighting has taken place in two heavily populated civilian areas which also has an oil installation next to it,” Rashed added.
“The fighting has destroyed many homes and many civilians have been treated in hospital in the last few days,” he told RIA Novosti.
US and British diplomats yesterday ordered the evacuation of their staff and advised their citizens to leave Libya as the fighting intensified. France also urged its citizens to pull out citing security concerns.
Rashed also confessed to RIA Novosti that disruption to public services were now commonplace in Tripoli.
“The main electricity supply is constantly interrupted and the main water supply has been cut off for two days,” Rashed said. “Communications, the telephone and internet, are also affected.”
In the past week, Rashed spoke to a senior member of the al-Qaqaa Brigade, which hails from the western mountain town of Zintan.
“A senior member of the al-Qaqaa Brigade told me that they are trying to transfer the battle away from Tripoli and towards Misrata in the hope they settle things once and for all,” Rashed said.
Escalation of violence in Libya began back in 2011 following the overthrow of country’s long-standing leader Muammar Gaddafi.
A large number of armed groups continue operating on the country’s territory. In some regions, the weapon supplies and fighting capabilities of the militants substantially exceed the resources of the local police.
