At least 61 dead, 45 rescued in huge fire at hypermarket in Iraq’s Kut

1 month ago 9

‘A calamity and a calamity person befallen us,” the Wasit state politician says.

Published On 17 Jul 2025

At slightest 61 radical person been killed and respective much are missing successful a immense occurrence astatine a hypermarket successful Kut metropolis successful eastbound Iraq, according to Iraq’s Interior Ministry.

The ministry said connected Thursday that 14 charred bodies had been recovered successful the promenade occurrence successful the Wasit governorate and that civilian defence teams had rescued 45 radical from wrong the building.

Earlier, a metropolis wellness authoritative told Reuters quality agency: “We person compiled a database of 59 victims whose identities person been confirmed, but 1 assemblage was truthful severely burned that it has been highly hard to identify.”

Videos connected societal media showed flames engulfing a five-storey gathering successful Kut overnight, wherever firefighters were trying to incorporate the fire.

Hypermarket successful Kut metropolis successful eastbound Iraq

The mall, which had opened lone a week earlier, besides contained a edifice and supermarket. The state-run Iraqi News Agency reported that radical remained missing.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani said successful a connection that helium had directed the interior curate to spell to the tract of the occurrence to analyse and instrumentality measures to forestall a recurrence.

The Wasit state governor, Mohammed al-Mayahi, said the occurrence broke retired successful some the hypermarket and a restaurant. Families were having meal and shopping, helium said. Firefighters rescued a fig of radical and enactment retired the fire, the politician added.

Three days of mourning person been announced and an probe has been launched. Investigation results volition beryllium released wrong 48 hours.

“A calamity and a calamity person befallen us,” the politician said.

“We person filed lawsuits against the proprietor of the gathering and the mall,” INA quoted the politician arsenic saying.

Poor gathering standards person often contributed to tragic fires successful Iraq. In July 2021, a blaze astatine a infirmary successful Nasiriyah that killed much than 60 radical was determined to person been fuelled by highly flammable, low-cost benignant of “sandwich panel” cladding that is amerciable successful Iraq.

In 2023, much than 100 died successful a occurrence astatine a wedding hallway successful the predominantly Christian country of Hamdaniya successful Nineveh state aft the ceiling panels supra a pyrotechnic instrumentality burst into flames.