By Amy Walker
A devastating fire at a shopping centre in the Iraqi city of Kut has claimed the lives of at least 60 people, according to local authorities.

The blaze broke out on Wednesday night at the Corniche Hypermarket, a newly opened five-storey mall located in the city centre. The fire has since been extinguished, but search and rescue operations are ongoing.

Videos circulated on social media showed towering flames consuming the building as firefighters worked to evacuate trapped individuals, including some who were seen stranded on the roof. Despite their efforts, dozens remain missing.

Kut’s regional governor, Mohammed al-Miyahi, called the incident a “tragedy and calamity,” and announced legal action against the owners of the shopping centre. He also declared three days of mourning in the province.

According to Iraq’s interior ministry, most of the victims died from smoke inhalation while trapped in bathrooms. The statement confirmed 61 fatalities, including 14 bodies so badly burned that identification is not yet possible.

Nasir al-Quraishi, a local doctor, told AFP he lost five members of his family in the fire. “We went to the mall to eat dinner and escape the power cuts at home,” he said. “Then an air conditioner exploded on the second floor, and the fire spread. We couldn’t escape it.”

Emergency services remained on the scene into the early hours of Thursday, transporting the injured to nearby hospitals. A medical source cited by AFP confirmed that many bodies are yet to be identified due to the intensity of the fire.

The Corniche Hypermarket had reportedly only been open for five days. Initial findings from the investigation into the fire’s cause are expected within 48 hours, Governor al-Miyahi said. He also pledged a full review of fire safety protocols across the region.

This incident is the latest in a series of deadly fires in Iraq linked to poor enforcement of safety standards. In 2023, over 100 people died during a fire at a Christian wedding in northern Iraq, while in 2021, more than 90 lost their lives in a hospital blaze in Nasiriya.

Kut, located approximately 160 km southeast of Baghdad, is now the focus of national attention as authorities attempt to understand how such a tragedy occurred in a newly built facility.