Fire hits school offices in Iraq’s Karbala

Shafaq News – Karbala

A fire erupted Saturday inside the administrative offices of Al-Haybah School in Karbala’s al-Hindiyah district, causing material damage, according to a Civil Defense source.

The source told Shafaq News that fire crews swiftly contained the blaze before it spread to other areas of the school, with no injuries reported. Authorities have also opened an investigation to determine the cause of the blaze.

The incident follows a wider trend of fire-related emergencies in Iraq, which has recorded over 55,000 fires in the past three years, often driven by faulty wiring, lax safety protocols, and rising temperatures.

In 2025, however, fire incidents declined by 58%, with the Civil Defense Directorate crediting the drop to tighter enforcement measures and national awareness campaigns—efforts that earned it top honors at the 20th Conference of Civil Protection and Civil Defense Chiefs in the Arab world.