A massive fire erupted in Najaf’s Eden neighborhood on Monday, resulting in significant material losses and people suffering from suffocation.

The New Region’s reporter followed the incident from the scene of the fire and reported that the fire in Eden neighborhood had reached catastrophic proportions. More than five large stores have been engulfed in flames.

Ambulance and civil defense teams, along with their personnel rushed to the scene. However, the fire took hours to be controlled.

At least five large stores have burnt down because of the fire in #Najaf’s Adan market, with firefighting teams struggling to control the fire and several cases of suffocation recorded, civil defense units confirm to The New Region.#TheNewRegion pic.twitter.com/JGxFrFPMeM

— The New Region (@thenewregion) June 3, 2024

Between 6 and 8 company stores were consumed by the fire, resulting in 3 injuries among civilians and 8 injuries among civil defense personnel, a source from the civil defense unit told The New Region.

In response to the emergency, Minister of Interior Abdul Amir al-Shammari instructed the neighboring provinces of Karbala and Babil, which are close to Najaf, to dispatch their civil defense teams to assist in controlling the blaze.

Najaf’s governor personally oversaw the situation, aimed to determine the fire’s cause. An investigation file has been opened, although the exact reasons behind the fire remain unknown.

The Governor of #Najaf directs the formation of an investigative committee regarding the fire that broke out in a home and electrical goods warehouse in the province, #Iraqi state media reported on Monday.#TheNewRegion pic.twitter.com/LvmOcplTr4

— The New Region (@thenewregion) June 3, 2024

“Preliminary assessments suggested a possible short circuit as the initial trigger for the blaze,” sources told The New Region.

Najaf’s governor, Yusuf Kanawi addressed journalist from the fire scene and said that “due to poor storage practices and neglect of civil defense recommendations, a fire broke out in large warehouses containing flammable materials.”

“I was present at the fire scene and contacted the Minister of Interior. All districts and sub-districts collaborated with neighboring provinces to control the flames. Even the Najaf refinery participated, and the situation is now being brought under control, with firefighting efforts ongoing,” he added.

In a response to a question from one of the reporters about the compensation for those affected, he said that compensation details for affected parties will be provided after investigation teams determine the cause of the fire.

Iraq suffers from fires especially in hot summer months.

In May, two large blazes occurred in Kirkuk province that burned a number of stores and storages, sparking demand for compensation and government investigation.