A Fire in a CoVid hospital killed at least 16 people

 A fire at a hospital in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, has killed at least 16
people. Several people have fallen ill due to smoke from the fire. The fire broke out at Ibn Khatib Hospital on Saturday night, local time. News from the BBC.

An oxygen tank exploded and caught fire. Video spread on social media shows firefighters trying to put out the blaze. Many have fled the building.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Qadhami has called for an immediate investigation into the blaze. He called the accident tragic. Preparations have been made to remove corona-infected patients from the hospital.

The head of Iraq's civil defense, Maj. Gen. Kadhim Bohan, told state media that the hospital's intensive care unit was on fire.
The state-run news agency INA quoted him as saying that emergency rescue teams had rescued 90 of the 120 patients and their relatives. A hospital source told AFP that 30 patients were being treated at the intensive care unit.

Patients injured in the blaze and patients at the hospital were taken by ambulance to another nearby hospital.

The Iraqi Civil Defense said the fire was brought under control early Sunday morning.

Baghdad Governor Mohammed Jaber has called for an investigation into the blaze. He said he would be brought to justice if the incident happened due to someone's negligence.

In a statement, the government's Human Rights Commission said the fire was a crime with Kovid-19 patients. Coronavirus infections have been on the rise in Iraq since last February. According to the country's health ministry, 10 lakh 25 thousand 26 people have been infected with corona so far. 15 thousand 216 people have died.

The immunization program in Iraq began last month. So far 8 lakh 50 thousand doses have been vaccinated.