Turkey condoles with Iraq over hospital fire

By Ali Murat Alhas

ANKARA (AA) – Turkey on Sunday condoled with Iraq over a fire incident that killed at least 82 people and injured 110 others in Baghdad.

We are saddened at the loss of lives due to an explosion and a consequent fire at the Ibn-al Hatip Hospital in Baghdad on April 25, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

It extended condolences to the "brotherly" Iraqi people and the government and wished speedy recovery to the injured.

Official suspect that an accident at the facility's coronavirus unit had caused an oxygen tank to explode, sparking the blaze. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has called for an immediate investigation into the incident.

Iraq's healthcare system, already ruined by decades of conflict, has been pushed to the limit during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Health Ministry has recorded over 1.025 million COVID-19 cases and 15,217 related deaths. It launched its vaccination campaign last month, and has since administered 298,377 doses, according to Our World in Data tracking website.