Fire in Iraq's Basra commercial district forces evacuations

Fire in Iraq's Basra commercial district forces evacuations

Fire in Iraq's Basra commercial district forces evacuations / bne IntelliNews

By bne Gulf bureau September 13, 2024

A large fire broke out in a home appliance warehouse in central Basra on September 13, local media reported amid a visit to the city by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

The growing blaze has forced nearby families to evacuate their homes and caused several cases of smoke inhalation, including a journalist, local officials and witnesses said. Pezeshkian, who was in the city as part of his Iraq tour, was not reportedly close to the fire.

The blaze erupted in the Dakeer area of al-Ashar district in central Basra, prompting civil defence teams to rush to the scene to combat the flames and prevent their spread to neighbouring warehouses, a security source told Alsumaria.

"Families have left their apartments near the burning commercial warehouses due to the fire and rising smoke in al-Ashar city center," a correspondent in the province reported.

The source added that numerous cases of smoke inhalation were recorded among civil defence personnel and a journalist, noting that they were transferred to a nearby hospital for treatment.

One firefighter reportedly collapsed due to smoke inhalation, the security source said.

The cause of the fire was not immediately clear, and there were no immediate reports of fatalities.

Basra, Iraq's central oil-exporting city, has seen protests in recent years over poor public services, including lengthy power cuts during the scorching summer heat.

#bnm #MiddleEast #Iraq

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