- Title: Eyewitness video captures moment of blast at Iraq militia weapons depot
- Date: 13th August 2019
- Summary: BAGHDAD, IRAQ (AUGUST 13, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DAMAGED DEPOT FROM DISTANCE VARIOUS OF ROCKET ON GROUND SOUNDBITE (Arabic) EYEWITNESS, RESIDENT ABU AHMED, SAYING: "I am a roving cigarettes seller on the street. While I was selling cigarettes, I heard explosions. Five minutes later, rockets started landing here and there. This rocket is one of them. The blasts started from 6.30 pm till 10.30 pm (1530-1930 GMT).'' VARIOUS OF DAMAGED HOUSE VARIOUS OF LOCAL RESIDENT AMAR MOUSA HOLDING UP BULLET FROM WEAPONS DEPOT SOUNDBITE (Arabic) RESIDENT, AMAR MOUSA, SAYING: ''My wife and I were in the house. We ran out of the house, I saw other residents in the area running in panic. No one remained in their houses. Shrapnel and rockets started flying in the air and landing on the streets and houses. A rocket landed in that house but it did not explode. Soldiers came at night and removed it.'' VARIOUS OF DAMAGED MOSQUE RESIDENT CLEARING DEBRIS INSIDE MOSQUE VARIOUS OF DAMAGED SHOP VARIOUS OF DAMAGED WINDOW AT A PETROL STATION
- Embargoed: 27th August 2019 09:59
- Keywords: Baghdad blast damaged buildings Iraq militia one dead twenty-nine injured
- Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
- City: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA002AS1V87B
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A large fire broke out on Monday (August 12) at a weapons depot run by an Iraqi militia group, causing explosions heard across Baghdad, killing one person and injuring 29 others, authorities said.
Eyewitness video by local resident Ahmed Al-Sibihawi showed the moment of the explosion, followed by plumes of smoke billowing into the air.
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 neighbourhoods several kilometres (miles) away and injuring mainly children, said Qasim al-Attabi, a spokesman for the district's health directorate.
A local mosque and nearby shops were also severely damaged from the blast.
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.
(Production Credit: Polly Rider and Mohammed Katfan) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
