ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A warehouse, built with illegal, highly flammable material, caught fire in Baghdad, killing four foreign workers.
“The four workers who passed away are Arabs from outside Iraq. They suffocated from the fire’s smoke,” Iraqi civil defense spokesperson Nawas Sabah Shakir told Rudaw
The warehouse was separated into four quarters, storing clothes, accessories, and perfumes. More than 40 firefighting teams worked to extinguish the flames so they did not spread to adjacent warehouses.
“The main cause of the fire is being investigated. The use of sandwich panels in the construction of the warehouse was a reason for the fire to spread,” said Shakir. He also said the warehouse did not have safety measures in place.
Under Iraqi law, the use of sandwich panel cladding in buildings is prohibited. They have been blamed for several disastrous fires. In September 2023, over 100 people lost their lives at a wedding in Nineveh province's Hamdaniya, when fire engulfed a bouquet hall. Sandwich panels had been used in the building’s construction.
In Iraq, safety standards are often ignored and buildings lack adequate fire extinguishers and emergency facilities such as evacuation routes.
More than 20,000 fires were recorded in Iraq in 2023, a decrease from 32,000 in 2022, according to data from the directorate.
Hastyar Qadir contributed to this report
