A large fire at a recently opened hypermarket in Kut, a city in eastern Iraq, has claimed the lives of at least 61 people, with dozens more injured or missing.
The blaze broke out late Wednesday in a five-storey shopping center in Wasit province.
Civil defense teams managed to rescue 45 people from inside the building, while the search continues for others still unaccounted for.
According to Iraq’s Interior Ministry, 14 severely burned bodies were discovered during the recovery operation.
A local health official reported that 59 victims had been identified, though one body remains unidentified due to the extent of the burns.
The shopping center, which had opened only a week earlier, housed a large hypermarket, a restaurant, and other businesses.
The fire reportedly started in both the restaurant and the store area while families were dining and shopping inside.
Footage shared online showed intense flames consuming the building as firefighters worked through the night to control the blaze.
The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed, but authorities have launched a full investigation.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani has ordered the interior minister to visit the site and lead the inquiry.
The Wasit governor has confirmed that legal action has been taken against the building and mall owners. He also announced three days of mourning across the province.
Incidents like this are not new in Iraq, where safety regulations and building standards are often weak or poorly enforced.
In past years, similar fires have resulted in heavy casualties. In 2021, a hospital fire in Nasiriyah killed more than 60 people.
In 2023, over 100 people died when a fire broke out during a wedding celebration in Nineveh province.
The Kut fire has once again raised concerns about fire safety enforcement, especially in public buildings. Officials said results from the ongoing investigation will be released within 48 hours.