Kut: A massive fire broke out at a poultry hatchery in the village of Al-Zarkan, south of Kut, the capital of Wasit Governorate, resulting in the death of more than 50,000 laying hens and the destruction of about 20 tons of feed.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Director of the Wasit Civil Defense, Brigadier General Mohsen Ali, stated that firefighting teams rushed to the scene with five fire engines and managed to extinguish the blaze within just ten minutes, while cooling operations continued for about an hour.

He added that the incident resulted in one case of suffocation, which was transferred to the nearest health center for treatment, noting that forensic teams have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.