At least 69 people were killed after a fire broke out in a five-storey shopping centre on Wednesday night, local police told Reuters. Believed to have opened just seven days ago in the Iraqi city of Kut, the new hypermarket was engulfed in flames while individuals were inside. The blaze, which has since been brought under control, burst through several floors of the property as firefighters rescued people through the roof.
State media reports that at least 11 people also remain missing, as “charred bodies” are yet to be identified. The governor has now declared three days of mourning in the city. Firefighters managed to rescue 45 people from inside the building, as videos circulated on social media show a group of people on the roof awaiting safety.
“The tragic fire claimed the lives of 61 innocent citizens, most of whom suffocated in bathrooms, and among them 14 charred bodies yet to be identified,” the interior ministry said in a statement.
Mohammed al-Miyahi, the region’s governor, said that legal action would now be brought against the owner of the shopping center. “A tragedy and a calamity has befallen us,” he added.
Ambulances were seen at 4am local time continuing to take casualties from the blaze to hospitals across the city.
“A disaster has befallen us,” Nasir al-Quraishi told AFP after he lost five family members in the incident.
“We went to the mall to have some food, eat dinner and escape power cuts at home.”
The distraught survivor went on to claim: “An air conditioner exploded on the second floor and then the fire erupted and we couldn’t escape it.”
Moataz Karim identified two of his relatives who were killed by the blaze, and explained that one only began working at the shopping centre three days ago.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has requested an immediate investigation into the cause of the fire, as well as taking “all necessary strict measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents”.