A fire that tore through a shopping centre in the Iraqi city of Kut has left at least 61 dead, officials said. The blaze at the mall, which had reportedly opened five days ago, broke out on Wednesday night and has since been brought under control. Firefighters have rescued 45 people from the mall's roof, but state media reported that many are still missing.
The tragic fire claimed the lives of 61 innocent citizens, most of whom suffocated in bathrooms, and among them 14 charred bodies yet to be identified.
Regional governor, Mohammed al-Miyahi, revealed that legal action would be brought against the shopping centre's owner.
The governor has also declared three days of mourning.
Videos show flames ripping through several floors of the Corniche Hypermarket in the city's centre, as firefighters try to douse them.
Other clips circulating on social media appear to show a small number of people on the roof during the fire, as well as the burned out insides of the centre.
Ambulances were still taking casualties to hospitals in the city, which is about 160 km southeast of Baghdad.
One doctor Nasir al-Quraishi, who is over 50 said that he lost five family members in the blaze.
The shopping had opened just five days ago. Safety standards are often poorly observed at Iraqi construction sites, which have faced decades of mismanagement and corruption.
In 2023, a fire swept through a Christian wedding party in northern Iraq, killing more than 100 people.
More than 90 people died in the Iraqi city of Nasiriya after a fire in a Covid isolation ward at a hospital in 2021.
