A fire that broke out on Wednesday evening in a mall in the city of Kut, in eastern Iraq, has resulted in the death of at least 61 people, most of them due to smoke inhalation, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior announced on Thursday.
Among the victims are women and children, and 14 of the charred bodies could not be identified, reports Associated Press.
The five-story building housed, in addition to commercial spaces, a supermarket and a restaurant.
According to authorities, rescue teams managed to save over 45 people trapped inside. However, several individuals are still reported missing, according to the official Iraqi News Agency.
Images broadcasted by local media show the mall engulfed entirely in flames.
Authorities promise investigation and sanctions
The Governor of Wasit province, Mohammed al-Mayyeh, declared three days of mourning and announced the opening of criminal cases against the building owner and the mall manager. However, he did not specify the charges brought against them.
"We assure the families of the innocent victims that we will show no leniency towards those responsible, directly or indirectly," al-Mayyeh said.
Preliminary investigation results will be published within the next 48 hours.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani stated that he has tasked the Minister of Interior to visit the site to coordinate the investigation and propose measures to prevent the recurrence of such tragedies.
Recurring tragedies due to poor standards
Fires of significant scale caused by improper construction conditions are not uncommon in Iraq.
In July 2021, a fire at a hospital in the city of Nasiriyah resulted in 92 deaths, after the building was insulated with highly flammable "sandwich" panels, prohibited in Iraq.
In 2023, over 100 people died in a wedding hall in Nineveh province, after fireworks ignited the ceiling lined with flammable materials.
G.P.