Environmental observatory warns against unsafe building material following the Hamdaniya tragedy
Shafaq News / The "Green Iraq" environmental observatory issued a warning on Thursday regarding the potential for another tragedy affecting certain government facilities due to the use of "Sandwich Panel" material in the construction of offices and spaces for employees, the same material responsible for the Hamdaniya tragedy.
The observatory stated that "the Hamdaniya tragedy, which claimed the lives of around 200 people, was caused by the use of the construction material 'Sandwich Panel' and 'compound sheets,' emphasizing that this material is a primary cause of the fires witnessed in the country."
The statement added, "Approximately 30% of government offices are constructed using this material, which is usually crowded with citizens who visit them," and further noted that "sports halls, event venues, and some parts of people's homes are also made of this material."
The environmental observatory warned against the recurrence of the Hamdaniya tragedy in such locations due to the lack of compliance with safety regulations regularly issued by the Civil Defense Directorate. It called on government authorities to "reconsider these buildings" and urged the banning of the use of "Sandwich Panel" material, which was a primary cause of loss of life and extensive damage to public and private properties due to its rapid flammability.
Earlier, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa Al-Sudani held the heads of administrative units responsible for public safety and instructed the strictest legal penalties to be imposed on those responsible and negligent parties involved in the Hamdaniya fire incident.
The Iraqi government also declared a three-day period of national mourning throughout the country for the victims of the Hamdaniya (Baghdeda) fire incident in the Nineveh Plains region. Security authorities reported that more than 200 people were killed or injured in the fire at a wedding hall in the Hamdaniya district, east of Mosul, with dozens of injured individuals transferred to hospitals in the Kurdistan Region (KRI).
