“THEY ARE HUMAN BEINGS” POPE FRANCIS MOURNS DROWNED MIGRANTS, BAGHDAD HOSPITAL FIRE INCIDENT

Sun 25 April 2021:

Pope Francis on Sunday mourned the casualties of the recent hospital fire in Baghdad as well as the death of 130 migrants who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea.

“I am also near to the victims of the fire in the hospital for Covid patients in Baghdad. As of now, there are 82 people who have died. Let us pray for all of them. I confess I am extremely sad over the tragedy that has once again taken place in the Mediterranean. One hundred thirty migrants died in the sea. They are people.

They are human beings who begged for help in vain for two whole days – help that never arrived,” the pontiff stated after saying the Regina Caeli prayer, as quoted by the Holy See.

At least 130 migrants drowned off the coast of Libya on Friday as their rubber boat capsized. The French non-governmental organization SOS Mediterranee reported that no survivors had been found.

A day after, a deadly fire broke out at the Ibn al-Khatib hospital for treating coronavirus patients in Baghdad. The incident was reportedly caused by the explosion of an oxygen cylinder. According to the country’s interior ministry, at least 82 people died in the fire and 110 were injured.