The Iraqi authorities arrested a group of workers at Ibn Al-Khatib Hospital in Baghdad, against the background of the fire that broke out in it and claimed the lives of dozens of patients and their companions.
The Supreme Judicial Council indicated in a statement that, according to orders issued by the Rusafa Court, east of the capital, the arrests included officials of the maintenance departments, civil defense, maintenance of oxygen cylinders, the administrative assistant and other employees of the aforementioned hospital.
The statement stated that "the Rusafa Investigation Court took several investigative measures, including transcribing witness statements at the scene of the accident, and issuing arrest warrants against hospital employees."
And last Saturday evening, a fire broke out in Ibn Al-Khatib Hospital for Corona patients in the Diyala Bridge area in the Iraqi capital, as a result of an oxygen cylinder explosion, which killed 82 people and injured at least 120 others, according to the government, but the Human Rights Commission (officially linked to Parliament) said that the tragedy It left 130 dead.
Following the incident, the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, while presiding over an extraordinary session of his government, decided to suspend Health Minister Hassan Al-Tamimi from work and refer him to investigation, as well as suspending the governor of Baghdad, Muhammad Jabr, and the Director General of the Health Department in the Rusafa region, and referring them to investigation.
The decisions also stipulated that the investigation into the hospital fire would be completed within 5 days, provided that the results would be presented to the Council of Ministers, with reference to the possibility of seeking the assistance of experts in the fields of security and health.
The government at that time declared national mourning for the lives of the “martyrs of the accident” for a period of 3 days, considering what happened a crime “affecting Iraqi national security” and not a mistake, and it ordered the formation of a technical team from all relevant ministries to ensure that safety procedures are audited in all hospitals, hotels and public places within one week, across the country.
protests
On Wednesday evening, Baghdad witnessed protest demonstrations for the second night in a row, which held the government responsible for the tragedy of Ibn Al-Khatib Hospital.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in several areas of the capital, including Palestine Street, Sadr City, east of the capital, and Al-Shula, northwest of Baghdad.
The demonstrators raised slogans condemning corruption and the Al-Kazemi government, blaming it for the fire.