SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Two retirees waiting in lengthy queues to receive their salaries died in Sulaimani late on Saturday, a health official said.
Following the announcement of payment, a large number of retirees rush to line up in front of banks in the Kurdistan Region late on Saturday.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is behind paying salaries of public servants and retirees for the month of February. Despite a rise in oil prices, the KRG blamed Baghdad for the delay in payment. The federal government decided to send 200 billion dinars as payment for public servants to the Region last week.
In front of the bank of Tanjaro in Sulaimani, two retirees waiting in a queue to get paid collapsed and died due to stampede overnight, director of Sulaimani’s Emergency Center Saman Nadr told Esta Media Network on Sunday.
Two other retirees were taken to hospital with injuries after a car collided with them outside agriculture bank in Sulaimani, he said.
“Their condition is unstable,” he added.
Separately in Erbil, retirees queues outside banks to receive their salaries.
Esta Media Network reporter in Erbil said there was “no money” in the banks and that the banks’ officials were waiting to receive public servants to begin the distribution.
The KRG has begun distributing public servants’ salaries for February since February 25. Despite promises from senior officials, the government has not been able to complete February payment.
