35 die in fire at Iraqi Covid ward

At least 35 people died during a fire within the Covid isolation ward of a hospital within the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah on Monday.

“The price from the hearth that ripped through the Covid isolation ward in Nasiriyah stands at 35, with five wounded, including two in critical condition,” Haydar al Zamili, a spokesman for the local health department, said.

“The victims died of burns and therefore the search is constant,” he added, noting there have been fears that a lot of victims remained trapped inside the building.

Videos shared online showed thick clouds of smoke billowing from the Al Hussein hospital.

Earlier on Monday, a minor fire broke out at the health ministry’s headquarters in Baghdad, but it had been quickly contained with no fatalities recorded.

The blaze at the hospital is that the second such tragedy this year.

In April, a fireplace at a Baghdad Covid-19 hospital killed 82 and injured 110, sparked by the explosion of badly stored oxygen cylinders.