Fire tears through Iraq hospital, killing 15 Covid-19 patients

The fire broke out in a hospital in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. Photo / 123RF

A fire broke out in a Baghdad hospital that cares for Covid-19 patients after oxygen cylinders reportedly exploded late on Saturday (local time), officials said. There were initial reports of 15 people dead.

Firefighters rushed to put out the flames and clear outpatients at the Ibn al-Khatib hospital, which provides care for severe coronavirus patients in its intensive care unit.

"I don't know how many victims there are, there are so many burned bodies all over the place," said Dr Sabah al-Kuzaie, present at the scene.

Initial reports showed at least 36 people wounded in addition to the 15 dead, according to medical and security officials. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. Iraqi authorities have not released to an official casualty count.

There were at least 120 patients in the hospital at the time of the fire, a doctor at the hospital said.

The fire is believed to have been caused when at least one oxygen cylinder exploded inside the hospital, local media reported.

The fire caused many of the oxygen tanks designated to support the #COVID19 patients in the hospital to explode. #Baghdad so far dozens of victims have been reported. pic.twitter.com/OAC8Jt3jq3

— Steven Nabil (@thestevennabil) April 24, 2021

At least two doctors at the scene confirmed they believed the oxygen cylinder had caused the flames that raged in the second floor of the hospital.

Iraq is in the midst of a severe Covid-19 wave. Daily coronavirus rates now average above 8,000 new cases, the highest since the pandemic broke out in the country last year. The government is urging the public to get vaccinated, but demand has been low due to widespread mistrust of the healthcare system and the vaccines in particular.