9 killed in explosion eastern Baghdad
Iraqis checking the aftermath of the explosion affected the five-aside football pitch. Photo: Social media
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – At least nine people were killed and more than 13 others were injured on Saturday in an explosion inside a parking lot in eastern Baghdad, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
Baghdad Operations Commander, Lieutenant-General Ahmed Salim, explained that the explosion was a result of a technical failure in a gas tanker, and that it was not a terrorist act.
The explosion which was heard in several areas in Baghdad occurred in an open parking lot near a five-a-side football pitch in a residential neighborhood in the eastern part of the capital, a medical source told AFP.
The Iraq Security Media Cell (ISMC) mentioned that the necessary measures are being taken to find out the causes of the explosion.
Most of the victims were football players who were on the field, Reuters reported.
Media outlets reported that the explosion caused damages to two residential buildings.
The explosion occurred two days after the Iraqi Parliament approved the new cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani in a long-awaited vote, marking a major breakthrough in easing political tensions across Iraq.