Tehran, August 22: At least 16 people have been injured as dozens of Iraqis in the southern city of Nasiriyah turned out in the streets protesting the shortage of power supplies.
The protesters said the provincial government was not providing sufficient basic services, especially electricity, police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Murtada al-Shahtur said.
Police officers fired water cannons to disperse the crowd, who had gathered in the center of the city on Saturday evening.
“They threw stones and used sticks, while police fired water cannons,” the spokesman was quoted as saying by AFP on Sunday.
Six protesters and 10 policemen were injured. About 40 protesters were also arrested.
Many Iraqis have been rendered helpless in the oppressive summer heat.
The country’s daily power generation averages 8,000 megawatts, while demand in the summer is typically more than 14,000 megawatts, forcing the use of rationing.
—-Agencies