A massive fire engulfed a five-story hypermarket in the city of Kut, Iraq, late Wednesday, killing at least 61 people and injuring dozens more, according to Iraq's Interior Ministry. The blaze, which erupted just one week after the Al-Kornish Hypermarket opened to the public, has sparked a criminal investigation and renewed scrutiny over building safety regulations across the country.
The Iraqi Interior Ministry said in a Thursday statement that "this heartbreaking fire claimed the lives of 61 innocent citizens, most of whom died from suffocation in the bathrooms due to the heavy smoke." Fourteen of the bodies remain unidentified.
The blaze swept through the newly inaugurated commercial complex in Wasit province, which included both a hypermarket and a restaurant, during peak evening hours when families were dining and shopping. "A tragedy and a calamity have befallen us," said Wasit Governor Mohammed Jameel Al-Mayahi, who added that lawsuits have been filed against both the building owner and the mall.
Civil defense teams managed to rescue more than 45 individuals trapped inside the burning building. "Despite the severity of the situation, Civil Defense teams heroically managed to rescue more than 45 people who were trapped inside the building, with remarkable dedication and courage," the Interior Ministry stated.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani dispatched Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari to the site and called for an immediate investigation. His office said he "requested a fully equipped medical team be sent to support the rescue efforts" and extended "heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed."
Authorities have declared three days of mourning in the Wasit region. Al-Mayahi announced that the results of the preliminary investigation into the fire's cause will be released within 48 hours.
Video footage circulating on social media and geolocated by CNN showed the inferno consuming the building, with civilians seen fleeing to the rooftop. In another clip, emergency responders helped people climb through narrow windows to escape the flames.
This is not the first time Iraq has seen mass casualties from fires linked to poor construction and safety standards. In 2021, a fire at a COVID-19 ward at Ibn al-Khatib Hospital in Baghdad killed more than 80 people after oxygen tanks exploded. In September 2023, at least 100 people died in a wedding hall fire in Qaraqosh after flammable ceiling panels ignited during a pyrotechnic display.
Officials said the Kut blaze mirrors those previous disasters. "We have filed lawsuits against the owner of the building and the mall," INA quoted Al-Mayahi as saying.
Inadequate safety enforcement has plagued Iraq for years, with many buildings using banned, low-cost cladding materials. In one instance, a 2021 hospital fire in Nasiriyah that claimed more than 60 lives was linked to sandwich panels known to be illegal under Iraqi law.
