Man dies in Anbar after oil heater explosion
Second incident in weeks
Man dies from kerosene heater explosion in Hit
ANBAR — A man in his 40s died Tuesday at Hit General Hospital after sustaining severe burns in a kerosene heater explosion, a medical source confirmed.
The victim, identified as Hamid Mohammed Al-Namrawi, was a resident of Al-Khader neighborhood in Hit. He was injured Monday while attempting to refill a kerosene heater that was still lit. “It exploded in his face,” the source told 964media.
Al-Namrawi was rushed to Hit General Hospital suffering from first-degree burns but succumbed to his injuries Tuesday morning.
This marks the second fatal kerosene heater explosion in recent weeks. On Dec. 21, 2024, a young woman in her 20s died in a fire in Al-Rumaitha district, Al-Muthanna governorate, caused by refueling a lit heater. The resulting burns were fatal.
Such incidents highlight the widespread reliance on alternative heating methods in Iraq due to chronic electricity shortages during winter months. Kerosene heaters are especially popular as they provide consistent warmth.
On Dec. 18, 2024, a woman and her four children in Abu Sayda sub-district, northeast of Diyala, died in a gas heater fire while they slept, underscoring the risks associated with heating appliances in the absence of adequate safety measures.