NASIRIYAH: At least 50 people died in a fire in the coronavirus isolation ward at an Iraqi hospital, the second such deadly inferno in a Covid-19 unit in three months, a health official said.
The fire broke out at the Al-Hussein hospital in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah late Monday and was still ongoing, according to an media outlet.
Haydar al-Zamili, a spokesman for the local health authorities, told the media correspondent that the “fire… ripped through the Covid isolation ward,” and put the death toll at 36.
Five were injured, “including two in critical condition,” he added.
“The victims died of burns and the search is continuing,” Zamili said, noting that there were fears victims could still be trapped inside the building. The ward itself has space for 60 patients.
Iraq´s interior ministry said on Facebook late Monday the fire tore through temporary structures erected next to the main building, but did not specify the cause.
The deadly blaze immediately sparked angry calls on social media demanding action and the resignation of top officials.
Sixteen people have been rescued so far, a medical source said.
Videos shared online showed thick clouds of smoke billowing from the Al Hussein hospital.
