Iraqi Civil Defense Directorate recorded over 6,000 fire incidents

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Iraqi Civil Defense Directorate announced on Sunday that it has recorded over 6,000 fire incidents since the beginning of 2022.

The directorate said in a statement that "6,049 fire incidents were dealt with in all parts of Iraq, except for the Kurdistan Region, for the first quarter of 2022."

The two leading causes of these fires were voltage fluctuations and tampering with wires in residential and commercial areas.

"The second reason is the prevalence of construction violations and construction using sandwich panels in violation of the safety instructions issued by the Directorate of Civil Defense," read the statement.

It added that "these panels contain highly flammable foam, which emits deadly toxic fumes" and takes a long time to extinguish when they ignite.

"The metal sheets and iron support that lift these panels twist and fall when they come into contact with fire, which leads to the collapse of the entire building within minutes," it said, adding that this makes it "difficult for rescue teams to operate and poses a real danger and challenge to the civil defense teams."