Baghdad blast death toll hits 292: Health Ministry
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Iraqis gather at the site of a terrorist bombing that killed at least 250 people in Baghdad's Karrada neighborhood on Sunday.
Iraq's Health Ministry says the death toll from a recent deadly bombing attack in the capital, Baghdad, has risen to 292.
Iraqi Health Minister Adeela Hammoud told al-Iraqiya TV network on Thursday that DNA samples were collected from 150 families to identify bodies charred beyond recognition.
The ministry’s Thursday toll makes the Baghdad attack the deadliest since the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.
The death toll rose as some critically-injured people died and more bodies were recovered from the rubble in Baghdad’s Shia neighborhood of Karradah, where a truck packed with explosives blew up on Sunday.
The deadly blast took place when a vehicle packed with explosives was detonated in Karradah area while families were shopping for Eid al-Fitr which marks the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
Security and medical officials said the attack left at least 213 people dead and more than 200 others wounded.
In a twitter post, the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group claimed responsibility for the assault.
Following the deadly bomb blast, senior Iraqi officials announced measures to address security flaws in the capital, including scrapping fake detectors, accelerated installing of scanning devices at entrances to Baghdad, and increased aerial reconnaissance and coordination among security forces.
