Blasts from Iraqi militia weapons depot kill one, injure 29
A large fire broke out on Monday at a weapons depot
run by an Iraqi militia group, causing explosions heard across Baghdad, killing
one person and injuring 29 others, authorities said.
The depot, run by a militia group under the umbrella
of the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces, was located inside a federal
police base in the southern suburbs of Baghdad.
The facility stored short-range and Katyusha
missiles, a security source told Reuters.
The fire set off some of the rockets which struck
neighborhoods several kilometres (miles) away and injuring mainly children,
said Qasim al-Attabi, a spokesman for the district’s health directorate.
Health Ministry spokesman Saif Badr said most of the
wounded were discharged from area hospitals with light wounds.
A police source said the fire was probably caused by
negligence leading to poor storage conditions and high temperatures.
The Interior Ministry ordered an investigation.
