Turkey's Botas halts flow after explosion at Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline

Turkey's state-owned pipeline operator Botas said on Tuesday that it had cut oil flow at the Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline following an explosion near the southeastern province of Kahramanmarash, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah .

In a statement, Botas also said a fire erupted following the explosion and firefighters and emergency personnel were deployed to extinguish the blaze.

The reason for the explosion, which occurred close to the 511th kilometer (318th mile) of the pipeline, was unknown, it also said.

Kahramanmarash Mayor Hayrettin Gungor said that the explosion in Kahramanmarash province's Pazarcık district has not caused any casualties.

'Thankfully, there have been no casualties after the explosion,' Gungor said.

'Our efforts to put out the fire are ongoing.'

Meanwhile, the province's Governor Omer Faruk Coskun reiterated that the fire has not affected any residential areas near the explosion zone.

Authorities also announced that the nearby highway connecting Kahramanmarash to neighboring metropolis Gaziantep has been cut off to traffic both ways as the fire spread to the route.

Turkish officials added that the fire squads are battling the fire which is expected to continue until the morning.

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