A deadly fire tore through the newly inaugurated Corniche Hypermarket Mall in the Iraqi city of Kut late Wednesday, killing at least 60 people and injuring dozens more, according to state media and medical officials.
The blaze broke out shortly after midnight at the multi-storey shopping centre—just five days after its grand opening—and rapidly consumed several upper floors, trapping shoppers and staff inside. Footage aired on state-run INA showed flames engulfing the structure as firefighters fought desperately to bring the fire under control.
“It is a tragedy and a calamity,” said regional governor Mohammed al-Miyahi, who vowed legal action against the mall’s owner for suspected negligence. “The tragedy is a major shock. A comprehensive review of safety standards in commercial buildings will follow.”
Rescue operations continued into the early hours of Thursday, with emergency crews sifting through the charred debris in search of survivors and the missing. Ambulances transported the wounded to local hospitals as dawn broke over Kut, located approximately 160 kilometres southeast of Baghdad.
Among the dead were five members of a single family, said Dr Nasir al-Quraishi, who had been dining with them at the time. “We went to the mall to have dinner and escape the power cuts at home. An air conditioner exploded on the second floor, then the fire erupted and we couldn’t escape,” he told reporters.
Authorities have yet to determine the exact cause of the fire but have pledged to release preliminary findings within 48 hours. Dramatic clips shared on social media showed several people stranded on the mall’s rooftop and the scorched interior following the inferno.
Firefighters succeeded in rescuing a number of people before the blaze was fully extinguished. Nonetheless, the incident has sparked widespread concern over lax fire safety compliance in Iraq’s commercial infrastructure.