Once again, the series of fires in Iraq, mostly due to neglect of safety measures and lack of punitive actions against violators, continues.
A massive fire broke out a short while ago at the Al-Zahraa Maternity Hospital in Najaf, adding to the list of hospital fires in Iraq. This incident raises questions about whether it was accidental or deliberate, like the previous fires at Diwaniyah and Salam Hospitals in Mosul.
This fire comes 48 hours after four Syrian workers died in a blaze at commercial warehouses in central Baghdad.
Sources told “Al-Alem Al-Jadeed” that “a fire erupted in the neonatal unit of the Al-Zahraa Maternity Hospital in Najaf due to an electrical short circuit.” The sources added that “civil defense teams rushed to the scene.”
They noted that “technical staff and workers at the hospital managed to rescue 41 newborns receiving treatment in the neonatal unit and dozens of women who had undergone cesarean sections.”
According to the Global Fire Alerts site, the total number of fire alerts has exceeded 18,700 since the beginning of the year until April 15, compared to 15,000 fire alerts during the same period last year.
In this context, the director of Al-Zahraa Hospital, Ghassan Hatim Al-Akaishi, announced today, Tuesday, the suspension of operations and deliveries at Al-Zahraa Hospital, with transfers to Al-Furat Al-Awsat Hospital and Al-Hakim Hospital.
In a press statement via a video recording from the site of the incident, obtained by “Al-Alem Al-Jadeed,” he explained that “this measure will continue until safety in the delivery and operations rooms at Al-Zahraa Hospital is secured.”
Iraq records thousands of fires annually, resulting in hundreds of deaths and numerous injuries. These incidents are often followed by governmental actions and investigations, which have yet to put an end to the tragedies that afflict Iraqis.
In a previous report by “Al-Alem Al-Jadeed,” MP Mohammed Al-Baldawi revealed that “the issue of fires requires more than just legislation. Civil defense departments need support, increased staffing, intensive training courses, and equipment. The current equipment is outdated and slow. In the world, fires are now managed by aircraft, which are quick and effective. However, there’s a clear shortfall in this area, as civil defense personnel lack adequate incentives, their salaries are not higher than other security forces, and they do not receive special care. We prioritize combat forces more than civil defense personnel, who work tirelessly to protect citizens.”
In January and February, fires broke out at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Diwaniyah, resulting in the death and injury of around 36 children, and at Salam Hospital in southeastern Mosul, which, despite no casualties, were later found to be deliberate.
The penal provisions in the Civil Defense Law are not stringent enough to deter violations, which have become a crisis due to lax enforcement of safety measures.
Iraqis often resort to using sandwich panels because they are cheaper than brick and cement construction. A storage facility can be built for less than 2 million dinars compared to about 15 million dinars for a brick structure.
Sandwich panels are considered non-compliant with safety instructions and are referred to the judiciary under Civil Defense Law No. 44 of 2013, as they lack necessary safety requirements such as alarm and extinguishing systems.
Fires frequently break out in commercial markets, especially crowded ones, such as Jamila and Shorja markets in Baghdad.
Electrical short circuits lead the causes of fires with 13,297 incidents, followed by 12 other causes including: children’s mischief, negligence, cigarette butts, deliberate arson, external sparks, gas leaks, fuel leaks, tribal disputes, vehicle collisions, spontaneous combustion, explosions, and other miscellaneous causes recorded by the Civil Defense Directorate through forensic reports, according to a statement by the directorate.
