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PoliticsTunisia

Fire at Tunisian Ennahdha party HQ leaves 1 dead, 18 injured

December 9, 2021

A member of Tunisia's Ennahdha party burned to death in a fire at the party’s HQ in Tunis. The suspended party's vice president, formerly the prime minister, was among the 18 wounded.

https://p.dw.com/p/4448q
Firefighters and onlookers on the scene of a deadly fire at the headquarters of the Ennahda party in Tunis, Tunisia
Forensic experts on the scene of a deadly fire at the headquarters of the Ennahda partyImage: Nacer Talel/AA/picture alliance

A former Tunisian prime minister is among the 18 people who were injured in a deadly fire at the headquarters of the moderate Islamist Ennahdha party in Tunis on Thursday.

Ali Laaryadh, who is also Ennahdha's vice president and was prime minister from 2013 to 2014, was taken to the hospital after he suffered leg fractures when he jumped from the second floor of the building to escape the flames.

Cause of the fire not immediately clear

It is not yet clear what caused the blaze that claimed the life of party activist, Sami Sifi,

In a statement Ennahdha thanked the "firefighters who intervened quickly to put out the fire and rescue those present at the headquarters.

Another prominent party official Abdel Karim Harouni was also injured in the blaze.

The Interior Ministry launched a judicial inquiry into the incident.

 

Tunisia's parliament still suspended

Ennahdha held the most seats in the Tunisian parliament before President Kais Saied suspended it in July. He is now ruling by decree.

Ennahdha warned three days ago it was facing an orchestrated "defamation" campaign aimed at shutting it out of national politics.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story stated unambiguously that the deceased man had set himself on fire. In fact, Tunisian media had reported this citing judiciary sources. The Ennahdha party said that the cause of the fire was "not yet known." DW apologizes for the inaccuracy.

lo/msh (AFP, Reuters)