ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Friday instructed local authorities in Soran administration to take necessary measures to avoid future fires following the tragic deaths of at least 14 people. He also offered support for the victims.
A building in Erbil province’s Soran administration caught fire late on Friday. At least 14 people were killed and four others were injured, according to the local health directorate.
President Barzani spoke on the phone with Halgurd Sheikh Najib, supervisor of the administration, and tasked him to “take all necessary measures so that such incidents do not happen again,” read a statement from Kurdistan Region Presidency.
The building, initially reported to be a university dormitory, houses many lecturers and students of Soran University, but is not a part of the school. The fire, which initial reports indicate was caused by an electrical fault, was quickly extinguished, but many people did not make it out of the building alive.
Kurdistan Region’s top officials and leaders of political parties have expressed their condolences to the families of the dead and wished speedy recovery for the injured.
According to data from the Kurdistan Region Police Directorate, a total of 7,546 fire incidents were recorded across the Region in 2022. Faulty electricity and lack of basic safety measures are part of the problem.
The supervisor of Soran administration told Rudaw that ten men and four women were killed in the fire.
“All the victims died due to smoke inhalation. No one was burnt. The building did have an emergency exit in the back but we do not know why it was not used,” he said.
“This is a great catastrophe,” stated the official.
