The death toll from a fire that swept through a hospital Covid ward in Iraq has climbed to at least 92, the Iraqi state news agency reported on Tuesday. The announcement came as anguished family members buried their loved ones and lashed out at the government over the tragedy.

The blaze that erupted on July 12  in the city of Nasiriyah was the second catastrophic fire in less than three months to kill hospitalised Covid-19 patients in Iraq, where the health care system has been crippled by decades of war and sanctions. Two health officials said more than 100 people were also injured in the fire that torched the Coronavirus ward of al-Hussein Teaching Hospital in the city of Nasiriyah on Monday.

On Tuesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi held a cabinet meeting, during which he pledged to announce the result of the investigation into the fire within a week, according to a statement issued by the prime minister's media office.

Meanwhile, al-Kadhimi decided to suspend and detain the director-general of the provincial health department, the director of the hospital and the provincial civil defense director, and ordered an investigation into the deadly incident, said the statement.

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