Syrian government aims to secure ammonium nitrate as fires approach Syria’s Latakia
LATAKIA, Syria (North Press) – On Saturday, the Syrian government transferred ammonium nitrate to reserve warehouses in Jableh after fires approached the Agricultural Bank and the mayor of al-Hafah warned of a “major disaster.”
Resources told North Press that the Syrian government had secured 150 tons of ammonium nitrate by transferring it to an alternative warehouse in the city of Jableh after fires approached its main warehouse in the agriculture warehouse in the town of Haffah.
Raed Ibrahim, the mayor of Haffah in northeastern Latakia, warned on Friday of a “major disaster” if the fires reached the Agricultural Bank.
In statements to al-Watan newspaper, Ibrahim appealed to authorities to send support firefighters and helicopters to extinguish the fire before the whole town burns.
On Friday, the Minister of Local Administration and Environment in Syria, Hussein Makhlouf, described the fires in Latakia as “tragic.”
“The fires burn randomly and in several and scattered areas, so it is difficult to concentrate efforts in one area,” he added.
He explained that the overlap between fruit trees and forests of the area resulted in material losses for the population.
On Friday, Fires broke out in the governates of Homs, Tartus, and Latakia.
The Syrian government declared a state of alert amid calls for support and assistance “to contribute to extinguishing the fires.”
Reporting by Adam Afram