Welding incident

Laborer dies in Sulaymaniyah building fire

SULAYMANIYAH — A worker died Wednesday morning in a fire that broke out in the Ashti neighborhood of Sulaymaniyah. The blaze, which started on the roof of a building where the worker was welding, has since been brought under control, officials said.

Diari Ibrahim, head of Sulaymaniyah’s civil defense, told 964media, “A worker was welding on the roof of a building, which caused the fire, and unfortunately, the worker lost his life.”

The worker’s body has been recovered and sent to the Sulaymaniyah forensic medical institute.

Eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud noise before the fire started.

According to the Kurdistan Construction Workers’ Organization, there were 19 fatalities within the Kurdistan Region and one in the Kirkuk governorate in the year to April 28, 2024. In Sulaymaniyah, eight workers lost their lives, while Erbil reported nine deaths, and Duhok reported two.

The causes of these fatalities included electrocution, building collapses, falls from heights, machinery accidents, and severe bleeding.

In 2023, the Kurdistan Workers’ Union reported a total of 53 worker fatalities in the Kurdistan region, with 39 local workers and 14 foreigners among the deceased. This marked an increase from 2022, which saw 41 worker fatalities, including 31 local workers and 10 from outside the region.