Iraq hospital fire likely arson: officials
Iraqi officials say the recent blaze at Baghdad’s Yarmuk hospital was likely an act of arson.
The Health Ministry spokesman, Ahmed al-Rudeini, said Sunday that the fire on Wednesday, which killed 13 people, was likely started intentionally.
He said an investigation into the incident at the maternity ward of the hospital, one of the main such facilities in Baghdad, found "the presence of flammable materials at the site."
“This of course indicates the occurrence of arson," Rudeini said, withdrawing his previous statement that the fire had been started by an electrical fault.
The official also updated the death toll from the blaze to 13 from 12. All those killed were babies, some of them premature, while reports say two more are being treated for smoke inhalation.
It took about three hours for firefighters and hospital staff to put out the blaze which broke out late on Tuesday. Dozens of female patients at the ward were transferred to other hospitals, medics said.
Electrical fires are common across Iraq because of poor wiring and shoddy maintenance.
Basic infrastructure like hospitals have been among the targets of militant attacks over the past years. The oil-rich country also continues to suffer from years of US-led occupation while rampant corruption has badly hit government finances.
The fire in Yarmouk hospital came in the midst of surging public anger over the government’s inability to push ahead with its reforms in economy. Protesters have hit the streets of Baghdad over the past months with people demanding urgent action to tackle corruption and enhance public services.
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