BAGHDAD, May 1: At least seven people were killed and 20 injured when a fire broke out at a petrol station in Baghdad on Thursday.

Several of the injured were in critical condition, said an employee at a nearby hospital, which took in some of the wounded. The reasons for the fire were not immediately known.

And seven US soldiers were injured in a grenade attack in Fallujah as anti-US feelings over the killing of 16 people earlier this week boiled into violence again,

In Baghdad, hospital employees said a victim of the fire told them that shots had been directed at a gas tank just before the fire erupted.

Rudi Sahel, 14, whose brother was injured, said there had been an argument and that someone fired a Kalashnikov rifle.

But other residents said the shots were fired in celebration at electricity being restored in the Alawi area. Power is only now returning to Baghdad a month after it went out amid heavy US bombing.

And some witnesses said the fire could have been caused by a malfunction, such as an electrical short-circuit.

Hassan Alawani, 18, said he pulled three bodies out of the fire and could not tell how many more had been killed. He described a scene of destruction in which “bodies in charred pieces” were scattered across the debris.

A thin column of smoke and orange flames were seen several hours after the fire broke out, and rescue workers feared more people could be trapped.—AFP\Reuters

Opinion

Editorial

Crop concerns
27 Mar, 2023

Crop concerns

AFTER last year’s heatwave that caused wheat grains to shrink significantly, the ongoing wet spell in Punjab and...
Higher learning
Updated 27 Mar, 2023

Higher learning

It is unfortunate that universities in Pakistan — with a few honourable exceptions — are hardly delivering world-class graduates.
Nur Jehan’s suffering
27 Mar, 2023

Nur Jehan’s suffering

FOR years, she was a star attraction for children visiting the Karachi Zoo who delighted in taking rides on her ...
Dickensian misery
Updated 26 Mar, 2023

Dickensian misery

Analysts warn we can expect inflationary pressures to get progressively worse over the remainder of the month.
Dog-bite cases
26 Mar, 2023

Dog-bite cases

AWAY from the hurly-burly of politics, Pakistan’s considerable healthcare challenges cry out for attention. ...
Life-changing chatbot…
26 Mar, 2023

Life-changing chatbot…

THE arrival and impressive performance of the generative artificial intelligence chatbot, ChatGPT has left the world...