Damage to oil pipeline in Akkar leads to leaks, fire

BEIRUT — Oil leaked from a damaged section of the disused Iraqi pipeline passing through Akkar on Wednesday, leading to a fire breaking out in the evening, our correspondent in the area reported.

Here’s what we know:

    • The leak appeared near al-Diwan restaurant in Abdeh, Akkar. A fire broke out shortly afterwards. Firefighters from Bebnine put out the flames and inspected the site to prevent other fires.

    • This is not the first time leaks have been detected in the pipeline, our correspondent noted.

    • Residents called on the authorities Wednesday to deal with this recurring problem.

    • Last September, the associate director-general of Tripoli's oil facilities, Hadi al-Houssami, reported that the damage on the Iraqi pipeline was caused by attempts to siphon fuel from it.

    • The pipeline was built nearly 90 years ago, and was shut down at the beginning of the Civil War in Lebanon in 1975.