Barzani spoke in a press conference outside of Shar Hospital where he had arrived to visit those wounded in the tragic accident resulting in a gas canister explosion at a home in Sulaimani on Thursday night.

Barzani expressed his condolences to the family members of the 15 people killed in the explosion. He also expressed his gratitude to the governor of Sulaimani, the medical teams from Shar Hospital, Civil Defense Teams, the police, security forces and volunteers who came to the aid of the family whose home was destroyed in the blast.

The explosion was triggered by a leak in the house’s gas heating system. More than ten people were wounded in the blast and nine children were among those killed in the deadly accident.

Barzani arrived in Sulaimani to attend the funeral of 14 of those killed in the explosion. The remaining victim’s body was taken to his hometown in Iran.

He said during his press conference at Shar Hospital that the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections will be held in 2023. The polls were originally scheduled for October 2022. He also stated outstanding issues in the Region will soon be settled through dialogue.

Reporter's code: 50101