Iraq orders probe into hospital fire south of Baghdad

A fire broke out at maternity hospital in Diwaniyah in January.

Iraq's Ministry of Health has ordered an investigation into a fire that broke out at Imam Al Sadiq hospital in the city of Hillah, south of Baghdad on Thursday.

The ministry said that a medical device caught fire and it was brought under control.

No casualties or damage were reported, the ministry said.

Health Minister Saleh Al Hasnaw visited the hospital in Babil province, accompanied by a senior delegation, and ordered an investigation. He also demanded that “negligent” officials at the hospital be held accountable.

Criminal evidence experts will work on determining the cause of the fire, the ministry added.

Sumaria TV, quoting a medical source, said two people were killed and 255 people were evacuated from the hospital.

The source said the fire was caused by a short circuit.

The country has seen multiple fires in recent weeks, affecting shopping centres, warehouses and hospitals.

Hospital fires are not uncommon in Iraq where inadequate maintenance and wiring are often blamed. Construction companies and providers often neglect safety standards, an issue widely attributed to rampant corruption in the country.

In June, a fire broke out at a maternity hospital in the city of Najaf, prompting the evacuation of 40 babies, according to Iraqi media. No casualties were reported.

In January, a fire erupted at a hospital in southern Iraq, sending smoke through a maternity ward and killing four babies who had been born prematurely.

The fire started from a pile of debris belonging to a construction company working on renovations at Women and Children’s Hospital in Diwaniyiah.

The hospital building did not burn but it was filled with smoke, and the four infants died of chest problems as a result of smoke inhalation. Some other patients suffered minor injuries.

In 2021, 92 people were killed in a fire that tore through a coronavirus hospital in southern Iraq, just several months after 82 people were killed in a similar explosion at a hospital in Baghdad.