WAR: Hospital Fire in Iraq Kills 14, Hurts 75, page 1

An electrical fire swept through an Iraqi hospital in Nasiriyah early this morning. Fourteen people were killed and at least 75 were injured according to Italian forces in the city. Victims were taken to other hospitals, some as far a Baghdad.

story.news.yahoo.com
NASIRIYAH, Iraq - Fire swept through the general hospital in this southern Iraqi city early Sunday, killing 14 people and injuring 75, said a spokesman for the Italian military forces based in the city.

The blaze at the Nasiriyah General Hospital was believed to have been caused by an electrical fault, the fire department said.

The injured were transferred to another hospital in the city, about 200 miles southeast of Baghdad.

Col. Francesco Tirino, a spokesman for the Italian contingent in Nasiriyah, said that 14 people died and 75 were injured.

The Italians received an emergency call around 2 a.m., shortly after the fire broke out. The blaze was extinguished four hours later, Tirino said, and the Italians returned to their base.

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For any healthcare worker, the thought of a fire still sends chills up my spine. In the days following 911, a Medical Student hoping to avoid a test called a bomb threat into our children's hospital. Evacuation was simply not an option for some for the kids in the Peds ICU. 5 Nurses (including myself) and 3 doctors made the choice to stay in place and not leave the children that were on ECMO, HFOV etc. It was a really tense 45 minutes till the called the all clear. I cannot imagine how these people felt as fire swept through their hospital. I for one was terrified.