Tragedy struck a university dormitory located near the northern city of Erbil in Iraq, as a fire claimed the lives of at least 14 individuals. The incident left 18 people injured on Friday evening, the chief of the local health directorate was confirmed to have said by news agency Reuters.
The incident unfolded at a structure in the modest town of Soran, situated to the east of Erbil, according to Kamaram Mulla Mohammed, who leads Soran’s health directorate.
#Soran City in Iraqi #Kurdistan Gripped by Tragedy: 14 Lives Lost in Devastating Fire, Investigation Underway
Read the full story: https://t.co/ij6vxw9sNH#BreakingNews #Fire #University #Students #Kurdistan #TwitterKurds #Iraq pic.twitter.com/6CvmKLGHBl
— Dr. Momen Zellmi (@momenzellmii) December 8, 2023
Official state media sources have verified the number of casualties. By Friday night, local news outlet Kurdish television channel Rudaw conveyed that the fire had been successfully quelled.
Footage broadcast by Rudaw showed firefighters combating the flames engulfing the building, which accommodates both academic staff and students from Soran University. According to the channel, a preliminary investigation revealed that the fire originated from an “electrical short circuit”, reported news agency AP.
The fire, which erupted on the third and fourth floors of the Soran University, was successfully brought under control, state media agency INA reported citing information from the civil defence.
Responding to the tragedy, the Prime Minister of the autonomous Kurdistan region, Masrour Barzani, has called for a thorough investigation to ascertain the root causes of the devastating blaze.
