The blaze in the southern city of Nasiriya has been brought under control. The death toll is expected to rise and the fire may have been caused by an oxygen tank explosion.(PIC-UNI)
A fire at a hospital in the city of Nasiriya in southern Iraq has left at least 50 people dead and dozens injured, Iraqi health officials said Monday.
The death toll could rise further, as some patients are still missing. Videos on social media showed the hospital engulfed in flames, with smoke coming out of the top of the building.
What do we know so far?
Iraqi officials said the cause of the blaze at the al-Hussein Teaching Hospital was an electric short circuit.
One health official from Dhi Qar province, where Nasiryah is located, said the fire was triggered by an oxygen tank explosion.
The hospital's 70-bed coronavirus ward opened just three months ago.
A Facebook post from Iraq's Interior Ministry said the blaze destroyed structures next to the main building of the healthcare facility.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi convened his cabinet for an emergency meeting on the situation and to discuss the causes of the fire.
Iraqis on social media demanded accountability for the blaze and called for the resignation of top officials.
"Corrupt officials must be held accountable for the fire and killing innocent patients. Where is my father's body," a young man told Reuters news agency in the hospital's yard.
Iraq's second major hospital fire this year
A fire previously ripped through the Ibn al-Khateeb hospital in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad in April, and left at least 82 people dead. That blaze was sparked by an oxygen tank explosion.
Corruption, sanctions and war have caused major problems for Iraq's healthcare system. Healthcare facilities are often dilapidated and the country faces a shortage of qualified doctors due to brain drain.
Iraq has seen a surge in coronavirus cases in recent days, with a daily peak of 9,000 new infections last week. The Arab country has also been gripped by protests due to electricity blackouts.(Reuters, AP, dpa)
