A devastating fire ripped through a five-storey shopping mall in the Iraqi city of Kut on Wednesday night, killing at least 60 people and injuring many others, according to local officials.

The blaze erupted at the Corniche Hypermarket, a commercial complex that had opened just a week ago. Although firefighters have since brought the fire under control, dozens remain missing, and the full extent of the tragedy is still unfolding.

Videos shared on social media show firefighters rescuing individuals stranded on the rooftop, while thick flames and smoke engulf multiple floors of the building. Other clips reveal charred interiors and scenes of destruction, as emergency crews continued searching through the debris into the early hours of Thursday.

Regional Governor Mohammed al-Miyahi called the incident a “tragedy and a calamity,” announcing three days of mourning and pledging legal action against the mall’s owner. He confirmed that multiple people were rescued by emergency personnel.

According to a statement from Iraq’s interior ministry, 61 people have died—most of them reportedly suffocated in restrooms while attempting to escape the flames. Fourteen of the bodies remain unidentified due to severe burns. An additional 45 people were rescued from inside the building.

The fire began around midnight and quickly spread, with ambulances rushing casualties to hospitals in Kut, located roughly 160 km (100 miles) southeast of Baghdad.

Eyewitnesses shared harrowing accounts of their losses. Nasir al-Quraishi, a local doctor, told AFP he lost five relatives in the fire. “We just wanted to enjoy dinner and escape the power cuts at home,” he said. “Then the air conditioner exploded, and suddenly everything was on fire—we couldn’t get out.”

Others, like Ali Kadhim, searched in despair at hospitals and the ruins of the mall for missing family members. “We still don’t know what happened to them,” he said, referring to his cousin, his cousin’s wife, and their three children.

Moataz Karim, another local resident, identified two of his relatives among the dead. One had started working at the mall just three days earlier. “There was no fire suppression system,” he told reporters outside the forensic department, awaiting updates about a third missing relative.

In response to the tragedy, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani extended his condolences and ordered an urgent investigation to determine the cause of the fire. He called for accountability and strict action to prevent future incidents.

The mall reportedly housed a restaurant and retail shops. Its opening just seven days earlier has raised serious questions about construction quality and safety oversight.

Fires caused by poor safety enforcement are not uncommon in Iraq, where years of mismanagement and corruption have left infrastructure vulnerable. In 2023, more than 100 people died in a fire during a wedding celebration in northern Iraq. In 2021, over 90 were killed in a hospital fire in Nasiriya triggered by faulty electrical systems in a Covid-19 isolation ward.

As grieving families search for answers, the Kut disaster stands as another painful reminder of the urgent need for reform in public safety and building regulation across the country.