Chef dies after falling into vat of boiling chicken soup in Iraq 

An Iraqi chef died in a freak accident last week when he fell into a vat of soup, suffering severe burns across large portions of his body.

Chef Issa Ismail was helping prepare a wedding banquet at the Hazel wedding hall in Zakho on June 15, according to Gulf News.

While stirring the soup that was in a large pot on the floor, the 25-year-old reportedly slipped and fell into the food.

After tumbling to the floor, the father of three was rushed to hospital Dohuk hospital around 40 miles away to receive treatment for severe burns.

Medics spent several days trying to save the man’s life, but the cook died on June 21 as a result of third-degree burns across around 70 percent of his body.

The chef’s tragic death sent shockwaves through Iraqi media and sparked an outpouring of grief on social platforms, with many mourners blaming the incident on insufficient safety standards inside the country’s restaurants and kitchens.

Gulf News reported that the large pot of soup – big enough for a grown man to fall into – was placed on the floor of the kitchen when the freak accident occurred.

According to Zervan Hosni, a relative of the man, Mr Issa had been working as a chef for around eight years.

‘He cooked food at wedding parties, mourning boards and various ceremonies, and for two years he has been working in two party halls for 25,000 dinars per day,’ Mr Hosni told Middle East In-24. 

His wage of 25,000 dinars is roughly equivalent to £12.45, or $17.12 US dollars.

Hosni added that ‘Issa was the father of two daughters, and a 6-month-old son.’