A refugee from Afrin, one of the victims of the Soran building fire

ARK News… ARK revealed the identity of one of the victims of the residential building fire in the autonomous Soran administration in Erbil Governorate, the capital of the Kurdistan Region. He is a refugee from the village of Qibar in the city of Afrin in Syrian Kurdistan.

On Friday, December 8, 2023, a fire broke out in a residential building in Soran, resulting in the death and injury of 20 people.

Walat Oso, the victim’s cousin, said in exclusive statements to ARK, “The young man, Ahmed Manan Hamo, is one of the victims who died of suffocation in the building.”

He continued, "The young man works as a painter and took refuge in the Kurdistan Region seven years ago after he was a refugee in Turkey, and only two months had passed since he moved to that building."

Oso added, "Three weeks ago he announced his engagement, but fate decreed that he would face the fate of death."

The source confirmed, "The victim's body was transported to the city of Erbil, and buried in the cemetery of Kasnazan town."

According to the Forensic Medicine Department in Soran, the fire claimed the lives of 14 people and injured 7 others, including 4 members of the Civil Defense. The injured were transported by ambulance to Erbil hospitals.

Several sources indicated that among the victims were 5 citizens from Syrian Kurdistan, but no additional information has been received yet.

In turn, President Masoud Barzani sent a message of condolence to the victims of the fire accident, in which he said: “It is with great sadness and sorrow that I received the news of the tragic fire accident in a residential building in Soran, which unfortunately resulted in the death of a number of citizens and the injury of a number of others.”

He added: "I extend my deepest condolences to the families of the victims and share their sorrows. I hope that God will grant the victims a spacious abode, give their families patience and solace, and grant the wounded a speedy recovery."

The President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, and the Prime Minister, Masrour Barzani, expressed their condolences to the families of the victims and directed the relevant authorities to investigate the fire incident and take all necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of such tragic events.

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