A fire broke out at a newly-constructed mall in Kut region of Iraq’s Wasit province late Wednesday killing over 60 women and children, according to a report published by The Associated Press on Thursday.
Casualties and Rescue Operations
Iraq’s Ministry of Interior said that at least 61 people were killed, with a majority of them succumbing to smoke inhalation. Fourteen victims, whose bodies were found charred, were yet to be identified, the report stated, adding that civil defense units rescued over 45 individuals trapped within the five-storeyed shopping center, which includes a supermarket and a restaurant.
Local media photos and videos circulating on social media showed the mall engulfed by fire. Individuals who were inside at the time of the incident are among those believed to be missing, state-run Iraqi News Agency reported.
What Caused the Fire?
Though the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, local authorities have reportedly charged both the mall owner and the building owner in related cases.
In a statement, Provincial Governor Mohammed al-Mayyeh assured the kin of the victims that “we will not be lenient with those who were directly or indirectly responsible for this incident.”
al-Mayyeh further said that the initial investigation would take 48 hours, following which additional information would be released to the public.
Meanwhile, a three-day mourning has been announced in Wasit province to pay tribute to the victims.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani, the report said, has ordered the country’s interior minister to travel to the site of the incident and ensure that proper measures are implemented to avoid any similar disaster in the future.
Concerns Over Building Safety
Iraq has experienced a string of fatal fires in recent times, largely attributed to substandard infrastructure. In 2021, a hospital fire in Nasiriyah had claimed at least 60 lives as a result of flammable cladding, and then two years later, in 2023, a fire at a wedding hall in the Nineveh province reportedly killed more than 100 people.
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