4 gas stations opened in Karbala

KARBALA / IraqiNews.com: Four gas stations were inaugurated in Karbala on Thursday to help reduce the rush on gas stations in the province. “The stations are located at the entrances of the city,” the head of the oil derivatives department in Karbala, Hussein al-Kharsan, told IraqiNews.com. There is an estimated 96 gas stations all over Karbala province. Karbala, with an estimated population of 572,300 people in 2003, is the capital of the province and is considered to be one of Shiite Muslims’ holiest cities. The city, 110 km south of Baghdad, is one of Iraq’s wealthiest, profiting both from religious visitors and agricultural produce, especially dates. SS (P) 1