Four die in electric heater fire in Baghdad

A fire broke out between 2:00 and 3:00 AM in the residence due to an electric heater catching fire, according to Kurdistan24 correspondent Dilan Barzan.

The photo shows the aftermath of the fire which claimed the lives of the four family members in Baghdad. (Photo: Kurdistan24)
The photo shows the aftermath of the fire which claimed the lives of the four family members in Baghdad. (Photo: Kurdistan24)

Nov. 30, 2024

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - Four family members, including one working for the Iraqi Interior Ministry, died in an electric heater fire incident in the early hours of Saturday morning.

A fire broke out between 2:00 and 3:00 AM in the residence due to an electric heater catching fire, according to Kurdistan24 correspondent Dilan Barzan.

Civil defense teams reached the residence following the incident.

"The civil defense informed us that the fire was caused by power voltage fluctuations. The family might have forgotten to turn off their heater," a neighbor of the family informed the reporters.

According to information available, the father worked at the Iraqi Interior Ministry, while the two children were five and eight years old, respectively.

Such accidents of electric heater fires have become increasingly common in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, especially during winter, due to unstable electricity and voltage fluctuations.

The incident has again brought into the limelight the lack of electrical safety and precautionary measures in using heating devices.

The Iraqi Interior Ministry usually supports the families of employees who die while on duty, with compensation and pension benefits to the surviving members of the family.