At Least 35 Dead In Iraq Covid Ward Fire

The fire broke out in the Covid isolation ward at a hospital in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah, leaving at least 35 people killed.

At least 35 people died in a fire in the Covid isolation ward at a hospital in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah Monday, a health official said. "The death toll from the fire that ripped through the Covid isolation ward in Nasiriyah has reached 35, with five wounded, including two in critical condition," Haydar al-Zamili, a spokesman for the local health authorities, told AFP. "The victims died of burns and the search is continuing," he added, noting there are fears there are many victims still trapped inside the building. Sixteen people have been rescued so far, a medical source said late Monday.