At least nine killed in gas tanker explosion in Baghdad

At least nine people killed and 13 injured after a gas tanker explodes in an accident in the Iraqi capital, say security forces.

A gas tanker has exploded in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, killing at least nine people and injuring several others, security forces said.

The explosion, which was heard across much of Baghdad, happened near a football field in an eastern part of the city on Saturday night and sent shrapnel into residential buildings and into the pitch.

“Nine civilians were killed and 13 injured” when the tanker exploded, the commander of security forces in Baghdad, Ahmad Salim, said in a statement.

“The explosion is an accident and not an act of terrorism,” he added.

Most of the victims were amateurs playing football in their neighbourhood stadium, the Reuters news agency reported.

Medical sources gave a higher casualty toll to the AFP news agency, with one saying 12 people had been killed.

An AFP correspondent said the windows of nearby buildings were blown out and vehicles in the area were damaged.

“We were at home and felt a very strong blast and a smell of gas,” resident Mohammed Aziz, who lives just 100 metres (330 feet) from the blast site, told AFP.

“It felt like we were suffocating,” he added. “Our doors and windows were blown out.”

Iraq’s recently-elected president, Abdul Latif Rashid, promised there would be an investigation to identify those responsible for the accident.

Safety standards in the transport and construction sector are frequently flouted in Iraq, and accidents are a common occurrence.

In April 2021, more than 80 people died in a hospital fire in Baghdad, after badly stored oxygen bottles exploded.