KUT — A fire ripped through a newly opened shopping center in the Iraqi city of Kut on Wednesday night, killing at least 60 people and injuring dozens more, according to official reports from the interior ministry.
The blaze engulfed the five-story Corniche Hypermarket, located in the city center, just seven days after its launch. The flames were brought under control hours later, but search and rescue efforts continued into Thursday morning. Authorities confirmed that 45 people were rescued, while many remain missing.
Videos shared on social media and Iraq’s state broadcaster INA showed thick smoke and flames consuming multiple floors as firefighters battled the blaze and pulled people from the roof.
“The tragic fire claimed the lives of 61 innocent citizens, most of whom suffocated in bathrooms. Among the dead are 14 charred bodies that remain unidentified,” the Iraqi interior ministry said in a public statement.
Wasit Governor Mohammed al-Miyahi called the incident “a tragedy and a calamity,” and announced three days of official mourning. He also vowed legal action against the mall’s owners.
“The loss is unbearable. Legal measures will be taken. This must not happen again,” al-Miyahi said.
The fire broke out late in the evening, reportedly triggered by an air conditioning unit that exploded on the second floor, according to eyewitnesses.
Dr. Nasir al-Quraishi, who lost five relatives in the fire, said his family had gone to the mall to escape power outages at home. “We went to have dinner. Then an air conditioner exploded, and flames spread quickly. We couldn’t get out,” he told local reporters.
Survivors and families of the missing gathered at Kut General Hospital and the mall site, desperate for information. Ali Kadhim, 51, searched for his cousin, his cousin’s wife, and their three children, all still unaccounted for. “We don’t know what happened to them,” he said.
Moataz Karim, 45, identified two relatives among the dead. One of them had started working at the mall just three days before the fire. “There was no fire extinguishing system in place,” Karim stated outside the city’s forensic department.
The mall included a restaurant and other commercial outlets, and had only been in operation for a week. The lack of basic safety infrastructure is now under scrutiny.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani expressed condolences to the victims’ families and ordered a full investigation into the cause of the fire. He instructed the interior ministry to “identify all shortcomings and take strict measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.”
The tragedy in Kut echoes past disasters linked to poor safety enforcement in Iraq. In 2023, a fire at a wedding hall in northern Iraq killed over 100 guests. In 2021, a blaze in a COVID-19 isolation ward in Nasiriya claimed more than 90 lives.
Construction oversight and fire safety protocols remain serious concerns in Iraq, where years of neglect, corruption, and poor regulation have made public facilities vulnerable to such catastrophes.
The government’s investigation is ongoing. As families bury their loved ones, many are demanding accountability and a permanent fix to the deadly pattern.
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