A devastating fire swept through the newly opened Corniche Hypermarket Mall in the Iraqi city of al-Kut on Wednesday night, leaving at least 60 people dead and 11 still unaccounted for. The inferno engulfed the five-storey shopping complex, prompting a massive overnight rescue operation as emergency crews battled to contain the flames and search for survivors.

Shocking footage shared on social media showed thick smoke and flames consuming the building, with people trapped on rooftops as firefighters worked under dangerous conditions. Witnesses described scenes of chaos, as panicked families tried to flee the blaze and emergency teams raced against time.

The mall, located about 160 kilometers southeast of Baghdad, had only opened five days prior to the disaster. Crowds had gathered to escape the sweltering summer heat and ongoing power outages when tragedy struck.

Officials from the city’s health department confirmed the rising death toll, while police and medical sources warned that many of the bodies retrieved were severely burned, making identification difficult. One health official told Reuters, “We have confirmed the identities of 59 victims, but one body was burned beyond recognition.”

Al-Kut Governor Mohammed al-Miyahi called the incident a “catastrophe” and announced that legal action had been initiated against the mall’s owners and operators. He promised a full investigation, with preliminary findings expected within two days. “This tragedy demands a thorough reassessment of safety protocols in all commercial buildings,” he said.

According to early reports, the fire may have been triggered by an electrical malfunction, possibly involving an air conditioning unit. A survivor, Dr. Nasir al-Quraishi, described the moment the fire erupted: “We were having dinner when an AC unit exploded. The flames spread so fast. I lost five members of my family in minutes.”

Firefighters and emergency teams continued rescue operations into the early hours of Thursday, with ambulances transporting the injured to local hospitals. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed, but authorities fear the death toll could rise as the search continues.

The Corniche Hypermarket Mall, once seen as a symbol of modernization in al-Kut, now stands as the site of one of Iraq’s most tragic commercial fires in recent history. As families mourn their loved ones, the nation is left grappling with questions about fire safety enforcement and accountability.