SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Senior Kurdish officials said on Sunday the Kurdistan Region is ready to provide assistance and receive people injured in a fire at a hospital in Baghdad.
At least 27 people were killed and 46 others injured in the fire at Ibn Khatib hospital in the Diyala Bridge area of Baghdad on Saturday, Reuters cited medical sources as saying.
The fire occurred after an accident caused an oxygen tank to explode.
Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani expressed condolences to the families of the victims and hoped speedy recovery for the wounded, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said in a statement.
“The KRG is ready to provide all forms of assistance, especially in the field of health, receive the wounded or any other assistance that alleviates the suffering,” Barzani said.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said in a separate statement that the Region’s hospitals are ready to receive people injured in the fire.
“The related institutions should reveal the cause of the fire, and investigate any negligence,” Barzani added.
Following the incident, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi held an emergency meeting with a number of ministers, security leaders and officials at the Baghdad Operations Command headquarters in the early hours of Sunday.
“Such an incident is evidence of negligence and therefore I directed that an investigation be launched immediately and for the hospital’s manager and the heads of security and maintenance to be detained along with all those concerned until we identify those negligent and hold them accountable,” Kadhimi said.
He also called for the results of the investigation to be available within 24 hours and hold the negligent people accountable.
