After unexplained fires broke out on 25 February in houses in the town of al-Asabaa, around 120 km away from Tripoli, there have been various investigations to try to identify the causes, as well as provide aid and support to those affected. Over the last week, around 150 homes have reportedly been destroyed, around 700 people displaced and at least 30 people injured or affected by smoke inhalation.
On 27 February, the House of Representatives (HoR) called on the eastern-based Government of National Stability (GNS) to intensify its urgent efforts to provide relief to those affected in al-Asabaa town and to provide all necessary capabilities to protect people and harness all possible means to reduce the impact of this disaster. The HoR expressed its regret for the failure to take the required measures with the necessary speed and efficiency by the parties that were primarily concerned with following up on such incidents and responding to them, stressing the need to review the mechanisms for dealing with crises and ensuring that the priority is always to protect the lives and properties of people.
On 28 February, PM Abdul Hameed Dabaiba said in a statement that ‘the statements of the Minister of Higher Education regarding the fires in Al-Asabaa were hasty and not based on final investigations,’ stressing ‘the need to coordinate with the competent authorities before making any statements, to ensure the accuracy of information and prevent any confusion.’ The Government of National Unity (GNU) said that Dabaiba is in constant contact with the team in charge of the crisis to ensure that investigations are completed in accordance with legal and technical frameworks.
The Minister of Higher Education, Omran al-Qaib, visited al-Asabaa, accompanied by a number of experts, academics and specialists from Libyan research centres and universities. He stressed that the phenomenon of burning houses can be explained scientifically and should be dealt with in a scientific manner. He appeared to indicate that the fires had been cause by the spread of methane gas in large quantities, ‘a colourless and odourless gas but flammable.’