ALBAWABA- A significant fire has broken out at Al-Salam Al-Ahli Hospital in Al-Hilla, Babel Governorate. Civil defense teams are actively working to control the fire, with no immediate reports on casualties or the cause of the blaze.
Iraq has a troubling history of deadly fires in public venues. On September 26, 2023, a fire ignited by pyrotechnic flares during a wedding at Al Haytham Wedding Hall in Qaraqosh, Nineveh Governorate, resulted in tragic losses.
Earlier, on April 24-25, 2021, a fire at Baghdad’s Ibn al-Khatib Hospital, caused by exploding oxygen tanks, claimed 82 lives and injured 110.
The incident exposed critical failures in fire safety systems and led to significant political repercussions, including the suspension of Health Minister Hassan al-Tamimi by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.
The recent fire at Al-Salam Al-Ahli Hospital highlights ongoing concerns about fire safety in Iraq's public buildings and the urgent need for improved protective measures.
