40 killed in Iraq hotel fire

At least 40 people have been killed and 23 have been injured in a fire in northern Iraq.

The fire hit the Soma Hotel in the city of Suleimaniya during the night, killing women, children and foreigners.

Four Americans died in the blaze, reports say, which took seven hours to get under control.

Officials say an electrical fault caused the fire and that it appears not to be a terrorist attack.

Suleimaniya is in northern Iraq’s Kurdish autonomous area, a major site for oil exploration.

Reports say some of the victims are employees of international oil companies working in the region.