Dozens wounded, missing following massive Baghdad fire
BAGHDAD, Iraq - At least 20 people were injured, including seven firefighters, after a three-story commercial building in Baghdad went up in flames and subsequently collapsed on Sunday.
Among the wounded is Major General Kadhim Bohan, head of the Iraqi civil defense directorate, while twelve other people who were trapped inside the building remain unaccounted for. Search parties continue in their search for the missing, according to Brigadier General Qusai Younis, head of Baghdad's al-Rusafa Civil Defense
The cause of the fire is still unknown.
The building houses large stores of perfumes and household items.
The huge blaze required the deployment of sixty civil defense teams and more than 50 firefighting vehicles, in an operation that took up to 10 hours according to Younis.
More than five civilian vehicles that had been parked close to the building caught fire, according to Rudaw's Anmar Ghazi reporting from the scene.
The civil defense announced late Sunday evening that the fire had been fully extinguished and first responders were searching for missing people at the scene.
Iraq is known for frequent fires during the summer, whether in government buildings or private facilities, but a recent string of fires at this time of the year raises concerns about the deterioration of the preventive measures that the government pledged to tackle nearly two years ago, after a series of blazes destroyed major hospitals, leaving dozens dead and injured.
Among the wounded is Major General Kadhim Bohan, head of the Iraqi civil defense directorate, while twelve other people who were trapped inside the building remain unaccounted for. Search parties continue in their search for the missing, according to Brigadier General Qusai Younis, head of Baghdad's al-Rusafa Civil Defense
The cause of the fire is still unknown.
The building houses large stores of perfumes and household items.
The huge blaze required the deployment of sixty civil defense teams and more than 50 firefighting vehicles, in an operation that took up to 10 hours according to Younis.
More than five civilian vehicles that had been parked close to the building caught fire, according to Rudaw's Anmar Ghazi reporting from the scene.
The civil defense announced late Sunday evening that the fire had been fully extinguished and first responders were searching for missing people at the scene.
Iraq is known for frequent fires during the summer, whether in government buildings or private facilities, but a recent string of fires at this time of the year raises concerns about the deterioration of the preventive measures that the government pledged to tackle nearly two years ago, after a series of blazes destroyed major hospitals, leaving dozens dead and injured.