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At least 52 dead, 22 wounded in Iraq Covid ward fire

There are fears people could still be trapped in the building.

AT LEAST 52 people died and 22 were wounded when a massive fire engulfed the coronavirus isolation ward of an Iraqi hospital yesterday, a health official said.

The fire broke out at the Al-Hussein hospital in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah late yesterday and was brought under control by local civil defence forces.

A medical source with the health directorate told AFP the “main reason behind the fire… was the explosion of oxygen tanks”.

Haydar al-Zamili, the local health authority’s spokesperson, said early today that 52 bodies were retrieved and another 22 people were wounded in the latest toll, after the fire had “ripped through the Covid isolation ward”.

“The victims died of burns and the search is continuing,” he added, noting that there were fears people could still be trapped inside the building.

The ward had space for 70 beds. The deadly hospital blaze is the second such fire in Iraq in three months. Outside the hospital, dozens of young demonstrators protested.

“The (political) parties have burned us,” they shouted in unison.

iraq-baghdad-covid-19-oxygen-cylinders-demand-increase A medical source said the main reason behind the fire... was the explosion of oxygen tanks. File photo. Xinhua News Agency / PA Images Xinhua News Agency / PA Images / PA Images

The fire also prompted furious calls on social media for the resignation of top officials.

Local authorities imposed a state of emergency in Dhi Qar governorate, of which Nasiriyah is the capital, and ordered doctors on leave to help treat the injured.

‘Failure to protect lives’

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi held an emergency meeting with ministers and security heads to “find out the causes” of the fire, his office tweeted today.

Dhi Qar’s health chief and the hospital’s head were detained and questioned by police, his office said.

Kadhemi also dispatched emergency medical aid to the southern governorate.

“The catastrophe of Al-Hussein Hospital is clear proof of the failure to protect the lives of Iraqis, and it is time to put an end to this,” Mohamed al-Halbousi, Iraq’s Parliament Speaker, wrote on Twitter.

Iraq’s interior ministry said on Facebook that the fire tore through temporary structures erected next to the main building, but did not specify the cause.

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

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

Many of the victims in the April fire were on respirators and were burned or suffocated in the resulting inferno that spread rapidly through the hospital, where dozens of relatives were visiting patients in the intensive care unit.

The April fire led to widespread anger, resulting in the suspension and subsequent resignation of then health minister Hassan al-Tamimi.

Iraq – where the oil-reliant economy is still recovering from decades of war and insurgency, and where many people live in poverty – has recorded over 1.4 million coronavirus cases and more than 17,000 deaths.

Much of the country’s health infrastructure is dilapidated and investment in public services is limited by endemic corruption.

Since the coronavirus vaccine rollout began in March, Iraqi health authorities have fully inoculated only around one percent of the country’s roughly 40 million people.

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

© – AFP, 2021

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    Jun 28th 2019, 7:28 PM

    His biggest problem in regard to being chosen as the Democratic candidate is that he’s an experienced politician and not a TV celebrity or movie star…

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    Mute Windom Earle
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    Jun 28th 2019, 7:45 PM

    @William Tallon: Yes because experienced politicians have a flawless record don’t they? Enda Kenny, Brian Cowen, Bertie Ahern, Angela Merkel, Vlad Putin, Hilary Clinton…

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    Mute Ryan
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    Jun 28th 2019, 7:52 PM

    @William Tallon: Have you been living under a rock lad? What good has ever come from a politician being experienced other than being experienced in spewing bull. I would say his biggest problem is the tag “Creepy Joe”

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    Jun 28th 2019, 9:15 PM

    @Ryan: Probably all taken off utube now I’d say. Another ediot

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    Mute William Tallon
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    Jun 28th 2019, 9:54 PM

    @Ryan: Errrrrr…. Not quite the point I was making really! My point was more about celebrity culture and new politics these days and not the machinations of established politicians from either side of the divide…

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    Mute William Tallon
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    Jun 28th 2019, 10:06 PM

    @Windom Earle: Think you’ve missed the point I was making which was about celebrity culture in politics as in Trump and not the virtues of politicians. Sorry for inadvertently triggering you…

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    Jun 29th 2019, 10:05 AM

    Biden should hire bill burr to script his ripostes

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    Jun 28th 2019, 8:40 PM

    Joe Biden is gone as is Tulsi Gibbart….US Media darling seems to be Senator Harris….Can’t win the nomination without the US media support…Well at least a Democrat can’t….

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    Jun 28th 2019, 10:31 PM

    All they did was pander and slander.
    Bashing law enforcement won’t go down well.
    Illegals to get free healthcare, ridiculous.
    Open borders and raising taxes, it won’t happen.
    Speaking Spanish, well trying to.
    All that was short was AOC to parachute into the studio spouting her usual nonsense.

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    Jun 28th 2019, 8:40 PM

    Kamala Harris and Democracy Now proves that Biden is a liar in the recent Democratic debate ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qMwOmngauQ
    A perfect politician? (Tulsi Gabbard didnt get much of a look in but what she said was accurate and truthful)

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    Jun 28th 2019, 8:32 PM

    If Yang doesn’t get the nomination America is done.

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    Jun 29th 2019, 9:54 AM

    Biden and Saunders are far too old, this is a young mans game. No, people should look beyond both of them.

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