Iraq’s Interior Ministry reports that a massive fire at a hypermarket in the eastern Iraqi city of Kut has killed at least 61 people and left many more missing. The ministry reported on Thursday that 45 people had been rescued from the Wasit governorate mall fire by civil defense forces, and that 14 burnt dead had been discovered within the structure.
“We have compiled a list of 59 victims whose identities have been confirmed, but one body was so badly burned that it has been challenging to identify,” a local health official previously told the Reuters news agency. Social media videos showed firefighters attempting to confine a five-story structure in Kut that was engulfed in flames overnight.
The grocery and restaurant were also located in the mall, which had just been open for a week. People were still missing, according to the state-run Iraqi News Agency. Mohammed al-Mayahi, the governor of Wasit province, reported that the fire originated in a restaurant and a hypermarket. “Families were shopping and having dinner,” he added. The governor stated that firefighters extinguished the fire and saved several lives.
An inquiry has been started, and three days of mourning have been declared. The findings of the investigation will be made public within 48 hours. “We have experienced a tragedy and a calamity,” the governor stated.
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