According to the Iraqi Interior Ministry, 110 more people were injured
At least 82 people were killed in a fire at a hospital in Baghdad, citing a statement by Iraqi Interior Ministry spokesman Major General Khaled al-Mihn, the Baghdad news portal reported on Sunday, citing a statement by the spokesman of the Interior Ministry, Major General Khaled al-Mihn, saying 110 others were injured.
“A fire at Ibn al-Khatib hospital killed 82 people and injured 110, including patients and staff”, – the communiqué said – “Some of the injured are in critical condition.”
The fire at Ibn al-Khatib hospital in south-eastern Baghdad took place on Saturday evening. It was preceded by an explosion in an oxygen cylinder storage room on the first floor, where the intensive care unit for critically ill patients with lung damage is located. The two-storey building burned almost completely from the inside. About 30 fire crews were involved in extinguishing the fire, with dozens of local residents helping as much as they could. According to eyewitnesses, when the fire broke out, panic broke out and people were rushing around looking for escape routes. According to the Ministry of Health, more than 200 patients were rescued from the blaze. The ministry has promised to release final details of the tragic incident at a later date. Earlier, 58 deaths had been reported.