Deadly Blaze Engulfs New Shopping Center in Iraq, Killing 60

Key Takeaways

A catastrophic fire at a newly opened five-story shopping center in Kut, Iraq, killed at least 60 people and left dozens missing, with flames fueled by an air conditioner explosion.
The blaze, which erupted on Wednesday night, prompted a harrowing rescue operation, with videos showing trapped individuals on the rooftop and charred remains inside the mall.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered an investigation into the fire's causes, citing safety shortcomings and vowing legal action against the mall's owner.
Over 100 people died in similar disasters in Iraq in 2023 and 2021, highlighting systemic safety failures and corruption in the country.
Families mourned victims, including five relatives of a man who escaped power outages, while survivors described suffocation in bathrooms and lack of fire safety systems.

A catastrophic fire swept through a five-story shopping center in the Iraqi city of Kut, leaving at least 60 people dead and many others missing, according to officials. The blaze, which erupted on Wednesday night, has since been contained, but the aftermath has left the community in mourning.

The shopping center, which had just opened its doors a week ago, became the site of a harrowing rescue operation. Videos shared on social media showed firefighters working to save individuals trapped on the rooftop, while state media reported that numerous people remain unaccounted for. "A tragedy and a calamity has befallen us," said regional governor Mohammed al-Miyahi, who announced three days of mourning and vowed to take legal action against the mall's owner.

Footage from INA's news channel captured flames engulfing multiple floors of the Corniche Hypermarket, located in the heart of the city. Firefighters battled the inferno as distressed onlookers watched helplessly. Social media posts also depicted the charred interior of the building and a handful of people stranded on the roof during the chaos.

Governor al-Miyahi confirmed that several individuals were rescued by emergency teams, but the toll continues to rise. Ambulances transported casualties to local hospitals well into the early hours of Thursday. Kut, situated approximately 160 kilometers southeast of Baghdad, remains in a state of shock.

In a statement, the Iraqi interior ministry revealed that 61 people lost their lives, most due to suffocation in bathrooms, with 14 bodies still unidentified. Forty-five others were successfully rescued. Among the victims were five members of Nasir al-Quraishi's family, who had visited the mall to escape power outages at home. "An air conditioner exploded on the second floor, and then the fire erupted," he recounted. "We couldn't escape it."

Ali Kadhim, 51, is desperately searching for his cousin and the cousin's family, who are still missing. Meanwhile, Moataz Karim, 45, identified the bodies of two relatives, one of whom had recently started working at the mall. "There is no fire extinguishing system," Karim lamented, as he awaited news of a third missing family member.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani extended his condolences to the victims' families and ordered an immediate investigation into the fire's causes. He emphasized the need to address safety shortcomings and implement measures to prevent such tragedies in the future. The mall, which housed a restaurant, had only been operational for a week.

This incident highlights ongoing concerns about safety standards in Iraq, where decades of mismanagement and corruption have led to frequent disasters. In 2023, over 100 people died in a fire at a Christian wedding in northern Iraq, and in 2021, a blaze at a COVID-19 isolation ward in Nasiriya claimed more than 90 lives.