A fire in a coronavirus isolation ward has killed more than 60 people in a hospital in the Iraqi city of Nasiriya. Angry relatives of the victims have been protesting outside the al-Hussein hospital, as the cause of the fire is unclear. Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi ordered the arrest of the head of the hospital after the blaze.
The death toll was estimated to be 64 with 70 injuries. The speaker of the Iraqi parliament called the incident a catastrophic failure to protect Iraqi lives. The new isolation ward was built three months ago and at least 63 people were inside when the fire began after reports of an exploding oxygen tank. There were clashes between protestors and police reported and reports of two police cars set ablaze during the unrest.
Read more: Iraq hospital fire: Protests as Covid ward blaze kills more than 60
