The fire in Diyala’s Abu Saida subdistrict killed a mother and her four children. It broke out around 4:00 am while the family was asleep.
“They were asleep and the heater was working … and this incident occurred as the gas heater exploded, causing a fire, and they were unable to save themselves,” Saad Najim, a witness, told Rudaw.
Iraqis turn to fuel and gas heaters during the winter, as the majority of houses in the country lack an advanced central heating system.
Diyala police spokesperson Haytham al-Shammari told Rudaw that they have launched an investigation into the incident.
Fires are a perennial concern in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region where safety standards are sub-par. Electrical faults and the lack of basic safety measures are a major part of the problem.
Many buildings also ignore safety standards and lack adequate fire extinguishers and emergency facilities, such as evacuation routes and emergency exits.
More than 20,000 fires were recorded in Iraq in 2023, down from 32,000 in 2022, according to data from Iraq’s civil defense.
Hunar Hamid contributed to this report.
