Iraq protest deaths: 12 people killed inside building torched by demonstrators

Protesters demonstrating against corruption, unemployment and a lack of services set fire to the provincial council building in Diwaniya, Iraq, some 200 kilometers south of Baghdad (124 miles). At least a dozen people who became trapped inside were killed in the blaze.

Demonstrators say they were unaware that anyone was still inside when the fire was started.

Unrest broke out in Baghdad on October 1 before spreading to other cities, with protesters accusing the government and political elites of failing to improve people’s lives after years of conflict. Across the country, at least 40 people died during Friday’s demonstrations, including several killed in Baghdad when security forces fired tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowds.