Fire at Iraqi Shopping Center Claims Over 60 Lives

Baghdad, Jul 17 (AP) — A devastating fire erupted at a newly inaugurated shopping center in eastern Iraq, claiming the lives of over 60 people, including children, according to Iraqi officials on Thursday.

Civil defense teams managed to rescue more than 45 individuals who were trapped when the fire ignited late Wednesday in Kut, a city within Wasit province, as stated in a release by the Interior Ministry. The state-run Iraqi News Agency reports that several individuals remain unaccounted for.

Local media showcased photographs and videos depicting the Corniche Hypermarket Mall—a five-story shopping center that had only been open for a week—fully consumed by flames.

Although the cause of the fire is under investigation, both officials and local residents attributed the scale of the disaster to inadequate fire safety measures within the building.

A statement from Iraq's Ministry of Interior revealed that 61 individuals perished in the blaze, primarily due to suffocation. Among the deceased are 14 unidentified bodies, severely burned.

Provincial Governor Mohammed al-Miyahi declared a three-day mourning period and noted that legal actions have been initiated against the building and shopping center owners, without detailing the specific charges.

“We assure the families of the innocent victims that we will not be lenient with those who were directly or indirectly responsible for this incident,” al-Miyahi declared.

In a conversation with The Associated Press, al-Miyahi described the fire as "a heartbreaking tragedy for the people of Wasit" and criticized the building owner for failing to install necessary fire safety measures during its conversion into a shopping center.

He mentioned that no government officials have resigned or been dismissed over the incident, and that the administration is currently awaiting investigative findings, expected within 48 hours.

Attempts to reach the building owner for a comment were unsuccessful.

Poor construction standards in Iraq have historically led to catastrophic fires. In July 2021, a blaze in Nasiriyah’s hospital resulted in 60 to 92 deaths, exacerbated by illegal, budget-friendly “sandwich panel” cladding.

Similarly, in 2023, over 100 fatalities occurred during a fire in a wedding hall located in Hamdaniya, Nineveh province, as the ceiling panels ignited above a pyrotechnic device.

Abdul Redha Thahab, aged 60 and a resident of Kut, expressed profound grief over the local tragedy.

“My friend and neighbour's family, who lived right next to my house — a family of six, the husband, his wife, their two daughters, and two young children — all perished in the fire,” he recounted.

Thahab described the building's lack of fire safety measures, including emergency exits. Neighborhood residents had to assist firefighters, as there were insufficient fire trucks to handle the catastrophe promptly.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani visited the fire site on Thursday. Though he didn’t address the public on site, he stated that he instructed the interior minister to conduct a thorough investigation and implement measures to avert future disasters. (AP)

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