Dozens injured in building collapse due to fire in Baghdad
Firefighters trying to extinguish the fire that broke out in a commercial building in Baghdad. Photo: Iraqi News Agency
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – An Iraqi security source said that at least 30 people were injured on Sunday after a commercial building in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, caught fire and then collapsed, Iraqi media outlets reported.
The source elaborated that more than ten people are missing in the collapsed building, and the cause of the fire was the lack of safety measures inside the building.
The source indicated that the Ministry of Interior started an investigation into the incident.
The civil defense directorate announced that the civil defense director, Kadhim Bohan, and at least 11 firefighters were injured when the burning building collapsed, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
No enough information on the cause of the fire is available and no casualties have been reported so far.
The commercial building in Waziriyah district in northern Baghdad is used as a warehouse for perfumes. This made it difficult for firefighters to contain the fire.
The civil defense announced late Sunday evening that the fire had been fully extinguished and search for the missing people is underway at the scene, the AP mentioned.
Most of the buildings in the capital city which has a population of about ten million people lack safety measures. Fires break out in commercial centers in Baghdad and sometimes lead to injuries and material losses.