Al-Mishraq, or Mishraq Sulphur State Company, is a state run

sulfur Sulfur ( American spelling and the preferred IUPAC name) or sulphur ( Commonwealth spelling) is a chemical element; it has symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms ...

plant near

Mosul Mosul ( ; , , ; ; ; ) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. It is the second largest city in Iraq overall after the capital Baghdad. Situated on the banks of Tigris, the city encloses the ruins of the ...

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

. It has twice been set alight and burned for prolonged periods. In 2003, what is thought to have been a deliberately started fire, burned for about three weeks, resulting in the largest human-made release of

sulfur dioxide Sulfur dioxide (IUPAC-recommended spelling) or sulphur dioxide (traditional Commonwealth English) is the chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless gas with a pungent smell that is responsible for the odor of burnt matches. It is r ...

ever recorded. In 2016 it was set alight by

ISIL The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS occupied signif ...

and burned for seven days.

Fires

In June 2003, it was the site of the largest human-made release of

ever recorded when a fire (thought to have been deliberately started) gained control and burned for about three weeks. At its height, the fire was putting 21,000 tons of sulfur dioxide a day into the atmosphere. The pollution in

, which is about 45 kilometres from Mishraq, reached a catastrophic level. For over 48 hours the white smoke from sulfur dioxide could be seen in the air. Many people were taken into hospitals and most vegetation was killed. On 22 October 2016 the plant was set alight by

militants as part of the Battle of Mosul. Two civilians died and nearly 1,000 people were treated for toxic gas inhalation. Shifting winds sent the gas to Qayyarah Airfield West, where U.S. and coalition forces were forced to use gas masks. The total mass of the released sulfur dioxide was estimated to approximately 161,000 tons distributed over seven days, equivalent to a small volcanic eruption.

References

{{Reflist Buildings and structures in Mosul Environmental disasters in Asia Environmental issues in Iraq

Fires

See also

References