Baghdad, Afghanistan: Security forces said a gas tanker exploded in Baghdad on Saturday night, adding that it was an accident. The explosion in east Baghdad killed ten people and injured more than twenty.
According to security sources, the explosion occurred in a garage near a football stadium and a café when an explosive device attached to a vehicle detonated, causing another explosion of a nearby gas tanker.
According to Reuters, the majority of the victims were amateurs playing football in their local stadium.
According to a military statement, a gas tanker exploded in a garage in East Baghdad, killing several people, and security forces are investigating the cause of the explosion.
According to an AFP correspondent, nearby building windows were blown out, and vehicles in the area were damaged.
“We were at home when we heard a very strong blast and smelled gas,” said local resident Mohammed Aziz, who lives just 100 metres (yards) from the blast site.
“We felt as if we were suffocating,” he continued. “Our windows and doors were blown out.”
Iraq’s newly elected President Abdul Latif Rashid promised an investigation to determine who was responsible for the accident.
In Iraq, safety standards in both the transportation and construction sectors are frequently violated, and accidents are common.
More than 80 people died in a hospital fire in Baghdad in April 2021, when poorly stored oxygen bottles exploded.
