Iraq hospital fire death toll revised to 60, list of identified victims released

The death toll for a fire that ripped through a Covid unit at a hospital in Nasiriyah, southern Iraq on Monday has been revised to 60 by provincial health officials.

Dhi Qar health directorate said that of the 60 victims of the fire at Al-Hussein hospital, 39 had been identified and returned to their families. The remainder were yet to be identified.

Health officials had estimated the death toll be as high as 92 by Tuesday afternoon.

A list of the names and other details of the identified victims was released by state media. 

Among the dead appears to be a father, Muhsin Aboud Nuid, and his sons Ali Muhsin Aboud and Ahmad Muhsin Aboud.

The oldest known victim of the fire was in their early eighties.

Iraq's judiciary council issued 13 arrest warrants for Dhi Qar province health officials in connection with the fire.

Protests have been raging in response to the fire, with demonstrators demanding that officials be held responsible for the tragedy.

Iraq's frail healthcare system is creaking under the weight of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The country is currently experiencing a new wave of Covid infections, with a record high of 9,189 new cases in 24 hours recorded last week.

Less than three months ago, a fire ripped through a Covid unit at a hospital in Baghdad, killing 82 people. The Iraqi health minister resigned in response to the blaze.