Electrical fault sparks fire at salon in Basra

BASRA — A large fire broke out Monday at a women’s hair salon in the New Marbad area of northern Zubair, Basra, security sources said. An electrical fault ignited the blaze, which quickly engulfed the salon’s ceiling made of flammable sandwich panel material.

Civil defense teams responded and extinguished the flames before they could spread to nearby buildings. No injuries were reported, and damage was confined to the property.

A local security source told 964media, “The fire started suddenly due to an electrical short circuit inside the salon. The flames consumed the ceiling, but the fire was brought under control before it could spread further.”

In August 2023, the Civil Defense Directorate reported that Iraq had recorded 19,000 fires since the beginning of the year, a 20% decline compared with 2022. Officials attributed the reduction to increased public awareness of safety measures and modern construction techniques that help reduce fire risks.