Interior Minister: Oil pipeline fire dangerous terrorist act

The Minister of Interior was at the site of Friday’s oil pipeline blast that was successfully controlled in record time by the civil defence response team.

Evidence gathered by the inspection team confirms that the blast was an intentional act undertaken by terrorists to undermine the security of the Kingdom.
The civil defence team, in cooperation with the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO)'s security and safety team, has successfully extinguished the oil pipeline fire which broke out on the evening of Friday near the village of Buri. The cooling process is now complete, mitigating any risk of re-ignition.
Attending the site alongside the head of public security and a number of officials, Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, the Minister of Interior, confirmed that the civil defence team dealt with the incident in record time.
The Minister expressed his thanks and appreciation to the security authorities, BAPCO and to the citizens who cooperated with the response team, whose collective actions ensured that no casualties were incurred.
The minister stressed that the blast is the latest example of a terrorist act carried out by terrorists in direct contact with, and under instructions from, Iran. He reaffirmed that the Ministry of Interior’s top priority is the safety and security of all citizens, and it will spare no effort to maintain public safety.
The Public Prosecution was informed of the incident and security authorities started to investigate the causes of the fire. Evidence gathered during the investigation confirmed that it was an act of terrorism designed to undermine the security of the Kingdom and its citizens. A further investigation is currently underway to identify the perpetrators and to bring them to justice.
The Civil Defence team was able to get the fire under control in the early hours of this morning, in coordination with the BAPCO team which shut down the flow of oil to the pipeline.
An evacuation plan was activated with the assistance of the Northern Governorate Police Department and accommodation was found for local residents affected by the fire, which damaged several buildings. The residents who were transferred to temporary accommodation expressed their thanks and appreciation for the quick response and the implementation of safety and security measures by the Civil Defence team.
The local road network remains closed while the investigation continues and the General Directorate of Traffic has called on motorists to take alternative routes until further notice.

Source: BNA