Lattakia, Dec. 14 (SANA) A water-well drilling operation in the village of Darwishan, located in Lattakia’s Turkmen Mountain region, triggered a dramatic column of flames rising over twenty meters. The event prompted concern among residents and led to intervention by emergency teams.
Khaled Darwish, the well’s owner who had recently returned to the village after years of displacement, explained that the fire erupted unexpectedly while workers were expanding the well to convert it into a water reservoir at a depth of approximately sixty meters.
The ignition prompted the mobilization of firefighting and civil defense units to contain the fire.
Salah al-Leri, head of the Geological and Mineral Resources Directorate in Lattakia, provided an initial explanation, attributing the incident to the ignition of a small pocket of flammable gas trapped at a shallow depth. He explained that the region’s geological composition and tectonic activity can cause localized gas emissions. However, these emissions do not indicate the presence of an economically viable gas field.
Al-Leri urged residents to avoid approaching similar sites due to risks of suffocation or burns from potential gas ignition.
Technical teams are working to secure the area and mitigate potential hazards. The incident highlights the need for increased awareness of local geological risks.
