A deadly pipeline fire at Iraq’s Zubair oilfield on Sunday killed at least two workers and left five others with serious wounds, Reuters reported on Sunday, October 26, citing oilfield officials.

Despite the fatal incident, officials confirmed that oil production was not affected. A statement from the Basra Oil Company (BOC), which operates the field, affirmed that oil flows continued without interruption, maintaining a throughput of 400,000 barrels per day.

Firefighters worked for several hours to contain the blaze, which the BOC announced was fully brought under control after hours. However, official accounts are conflicted on the precise cause of the fire and the number of casualties.

Oilfield officials stated that the blaze erupted while a group of workers was performing welding operations near a crucial pipeline. The fire reportedly broke out on a section of the pipeline that transports crude oil from the Zubair field to nearby storage tanks.

Iraq’s oil ministry provided a different account in a separate statement. The ministry attributed the fire to a gas leak originating from an old pumping system located at the Zubair oil storage depot.

The ministry also reported a different casualty toll, confirming that one Basra Oil Company employee was killed and four others were wounded in the incident.

Both sources indicated the severity of the injuries. Officials confirmed that some of the wounded workers sustained severe burns and were listed in critical condition.