On the evening of April 24, local time, a fire broke out at the Ibn Khatib hospital southeast of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, and iraqi civil defense authorities rushed to the rescue. So far, 20 people have been killed and more than 30 injured in the fire, according to local Iraqi media.
Iraqi civil defense officials said the fire started near the second floor of the hospital’s CPR area, preliminary investigations showed that the direct cause of the fire was an explosion of oxygen pipes, due to the lack of sensors and protective devices in the hospital, the fire spread rapidly. The investigation is still ongoing.
It is understood that Ibn Khatib Hospital is one of baghdad’s Covid-19 hospital. Following the incident, the Iraqi High Human Rights Commission asked Prime Minister Qadimi to dismiss Health Minister Tamimi.
