At least 50 people have died after a fire tore through the Covid isolation ward at a hospital in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah, writes The Guardian.

The death toll is expected to rise, as search operations at al-Hussain coronavirus hospital continued after the fire was brought under control. Sixteen people were rescued from the burning building.

“The victims died of burns and the search is continuing”, - said Haydar al-Zamili, a spokesperson for the local health authorities, noting that there were fears that many victims were still trapped inside the building.

Initial police reports suggested that an oxygen tank explosion inside the hospital’s COVID-19 ward was the likely cause of the fire, a policeman at the scene of the fire said.