At Least 44 Killed, 67 Injured in Coronavirus Hospital Fire in Iraq

At Least 44 Killed, 67 Injured in Coronavirus Hospital Fire in Iraq
Men carry stretchers with body bags containing the remains of victims after a fire broke out at al-Hussain coronavirus hospital in Nassiriya, Iraq, on July 13, 2021. Essam al-Sudani/Reuters
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NASSIRIYA, Iraq—At least 44 people were killed and over 67 injured in a fire likely caused by an oxygen tank explosion at a coronavirus hospital in Iraq’s southern city of Nassiriya, health officials and police said on Monday.

As rescuers combed the smoke-charred building in search of more bodies, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi held urgent meetings with senior ministers and ordered the suspension and arrest of health and civil defense managers in Nassiriya, his office said in a statement.