A major fire at the Corniche hypermarket shopping mall in Kut City, Iraq, has killed at least 60 people, according to local authorities. The fire broke out on the night of July 16 and was controlled by July 17.
This shopping mall has only been open for 5 days. When the fire broke out, many people were trapped inside, forcing the fire department to rescue some people from the roof of the building. However, many people are still missing.
The Iranian Interior Ministry said most of the victims died from suffocation while trapped in the restroom. Of these, 14 bodies were charred to the point of no identification. According to a medical source, more than 50 people were killed, many of whose bodies have not been identified.
Mohammed al-Miyahi, the regional governor, said the tragedy was a big shock and said there would be legal action against the shopping mall owner. He also announced that an investigation into the cause of the fire is underway, with preliminary results expected within the next 2 days.
Some videos circulating on social media showed fierce fire spreading to many floors of the center, while firefighters tried to extinguish the fire.
At 4:00 a.m. on July 17 (local time), ambulances continued to take victims to hospitals in Kut, a city about 160 km southeast of the capital Baghdad.
