Over 21,000 fire accidents recorded in Iraq during 2023

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) –  The Iraqi Civil Defense Directorate on Monday released figures on the number of fires that occurred in the country during the 2023 year.

21,024 fire accidents were recorded in Iraq, excluding the Kurdistan Region, yet the figure dropped compared to 2022, which was 32,477. The directorate did not provide any reasoning as to the large disparity between the two years, or if there is any possible error in its calculations.

The statistics include fire accidents inside government and commercial buildings, laboratories, warehouses, residential homes, agricultural sites, fields, and vehicles.

As in the prior year, Baghdad led the rest of the governorates in recorded fire incidents with 4,500, while Maysan had the lowest number of fire incidents at 543.

The number of rescue incidents carried out by the directorate during the year reached 455. The directorate boasted that these rescue attempts amounted to savings of $300.6 million.

The directorate further added it strives to spread preventive and educational awareness among citizens to reduce the number of fire accidents.

Read More: Iraqi Christian religious leaders demand an international investigation into deadly wedding fire

On Sept. 26, a fire broke out in Hamdaniya's wedding hall, resulting in the deaths of 133 people, with nearly all of the victims being Christians.

Another fire broke out on Dec. 8, at a residential building in Soran district in northern Erbil province, where at least 14 people were killed while 13 others were wounded, including firefighters.

Editing by Dastan Muwaffaq