ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A hotel caught fire in Iraq’s Karbala province late Friday. Around 60 people were rescued by civil defense teams.
Nawas Sabah Shakir, an official from the Iraqi civil defense directorate, told Rudaw on Saturday that the front and ceiling of the hotel was made from flammable materials, adding that this contributed to the “rapid spread of the blaze.”
The civil defense teams rescued 60 foreign nationals who were staying at the hotel. They were identified as Shiite pilgrims visiting the holy city as part of Ashura rituals.
The fire has been brought under control, Shakir said, noting that the blaze ripped through the hotel after the hotel’s generator caught fire.
Miqdad Miri, spokesperson for Iraq’s interior ministry, told Rudaw on Sunday that 5,500 fires had been reported in the country in the first six months of this year.
Fires are a perennial concern in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region where safety standards are often lacking. Electrical faults and a lack of basic safety measures are a major part of the problem.
A fire erupted earlier this month in a large bazaar in Iraq's capital, engulfing dozens of stores and storage units.
Nahro Mohammed contributed to this article.
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