WATCH: Lightning strike sparks gas pipeline fire in Iraq’s Basra

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A huge fire broke out at a gas pipeline after being struck by lightning in Iraq’s oil-rich province of Basra early Monday morning.

A loud explosion was heard before residents saw flames rising from a key gas pipeline on the main road to Zubayr town, west of Basra.

Witnesses told Kurdistan 24 smoke could be seen in different parts of the province, the center of the oil industry in Iraq.

There were no reports of casualties as the fire erupted in the uninhabited area. Firefighters eventually managed to extinguish the flames.

Last night, Basra and other cities in Iraq experienced heavy rain, which led to flooding in the streets, similar to previous years because of an inadequate sewage system.

The fire and flood highlighted the need for authorities to establish proper procedures and take measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in Basra and other parts of Iraq.

Despite the 15 years since the fall of the former regime, the people of Iraq, including the residents of the oil-rich Basra, are still struggling to receive basic services.

Exports from Basra account for 95 percent of Iraq’s oil revenue. The country is the second-largest oil producer in OPEC.

Iraq remains high on Transparency International’s list of national levels of corruption as widespread fraud and mismanagement in state institutions are some of the most significant challenges facing the country since the fall of the former regime.

According to the group’s 2017 Corruption Index, Iraq ranks 166, the tenth most corrupt country out of a total of 176.

Editing by Nadia Riva