At least 61 people have died after a massive fire engulfed a newly opened shopping mall in the eastern Iraqi city of Kut, officials confirmed Thursday. The blaze, which broke out late Wednesday night at the five-storey Corniche Hypermarket Mall, has left families devastated as authorities continue to search for missing persons.
According to the Iraqi Interior Ministry, the majority of victims died from suffocation, many trapped inside bathrooms and elevators while trying to escape the flames. Civil defence officials reported that the fire originated in the perfume and cosmetics section on the mall’s second floor and spread rapidly through the building.
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One survivor told AFP the blaze may have been sparked by an exploding air conditioner.
“In the midst of the horror and intensity, people began to flee upwards instead of down,” said Yasser al-Mulla, who lost five family members in the incident. “It is a tragedy.”
Despite frantic rescue efforts, many victims perished before they could be reached. More than 45 people were rescued from the site, which housed a restaurant, a supermarket, and several retail outlets.
Wasit Governor Mohammed al-Miyahi confirmed that men, women, and children were among the dead. Many bodies were transported to Najaf for burial, though local health officials said 18 victims remain unidentified.
Scenes of heartbreak were visible outside Kut’s main hospital and the forensic department, where families gathered in anguish, awaiting word about their loved ones. An AFP correspondent reported seeing charred bodies and overwhelmed medical staff struggling to cope with the influx of casualties.
This tragedy raises fresh concerns about fire safety regulations and enforcement in Iraq, where similar disasters have occurred in recent years due to poor infrastructure and lax oversight.
