Hospital Fire in Southern Iraq Kills 14
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NASIRIYA, Iraq — Fire swept through the general hospital in this southern Iraqi city Sunday, killing 14 people and injuring 75, said a spokesman for Italian military forces based in the city.
The blaze at Nasiriya General Hospital was believed to have been caused by an electrical problem, the fire department said.
The injured were transferred to another hospital in the city, 200 miles south of Baghdad.
Col. Francesco Tirino, a spokesman for the Italian contingent in Nasiriya, said the troops received an emergency call around 2 a.m. The blaze was extinguished four hours later, Tirino said.
Most of the injured were taken to a pediatric hospital in Nasiriya. Three who were in serious condition were taken to a field hospital run by the Italians.
Italy, a member of the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq, has about 3,000 troops in Nasiriya.
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