In brief
The blaze's cause remains unknown as officials begin investigations and mourning begins in the region.
A devastating fire erupted on Wednesday night at the Corniche Hypermarket in Kut, a five-storey shopping centre that had just opened a week prior. Local officials report a tragic toll of at least 61 dead, with many others still unaccounted for as rescue operations continue. Eyewitness videos shared on social media have captured the chaos, showing firefighters working tirelessly to save individuals trapped on the roof of the building.Regional governor Mohammed al-Miyahi expressed deep sorrow over the incident, declaring it "a tragedy and a calamity" and announcing that legal actions would be pursued against the mall's owner due to the lack of adequate safety measures. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, leaving many questions unanswered.As of 4:00 AM local time, ambulances were actively transporting victims to nearby hospitals, nearly 160 km (100 miles) southeast of Baghdad. The Interior Ministry confirmed that the majority of fatalities were due to suffocation, with 14 charred bodies yet to be identified. Additionally, 45 individuals were successfully rescued from the blaze, according to reports.Among the mourners is Nasir al-Quraishi, who tragically lost five family members in the fire. "We went to the mall to have some food, eat dinner and escape power cuts at home," he shared with AFP. Eyewitness accounts point to an air conditioner explosion on the second floor as the spark that ignited the inferno, trapping many inside.Ali Kadhim, searching for his missing cousin and his family, expressed his anguish outside the main hospital, where many families await news of their loved ones. Moataz Karim identified two relatives among the deceased, one of whom had just begun working at the mall days before the disaster. "There is no fire extinguishing system," he lamented outside the forensic department.Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has conveyed his condolences to the victims' families and has urged the Interior Ministry to initiate a comprehensive investigation into the fire's causes, emphasizing the need for accountability and preventative measures to avoid similar occurrences in the future. Poor adherence to safety standards at construction sites has been a longstanding issue in Iraq, contributing to tragedies like these, which echo past incidents, such as a deadly fire at a wedding party in 2023 and another in a Covid isolation ward in 2021.
