Massive fire at hypermarket in Iraq's Kut kills at least 69

Al KUT,— A fire at the recently opened Corniche Hypermarket mall in eastern Iraq claimed the lives of 69 people, including children, Iraqi officials reported Thursday.

According to Reuters, health officials in the city and two police sources confirmed the death toll at 69, with many others still missing.

The blaze erupted late Wednesday in Kut, a city located in eastern Iraq, the Interior Ministry said in an official statement.

Civil defense teams managed to rescue more than 45 individuals who had become trapped inside the Corniche Hypermarket Mall, a five-story shopping center that had opened just one week before the fire. Authorities say others remain unaccounted for, according to the Iraqi News Agency.

Local media posted images and videos showing the mall completely consumed by flames. The building’s rapid destruction highlights ongoing safety concerns about construction standards in Iraq, where fires in public places have often resulted in heavy casualties.

In recent years, Iraq has faced several deadly fires linked to poor building materials and safety measures.

A fire truck stands next to the wreckage of a five-storey shopping center “Corniche Hypermarket”, after a massive overnight fire killed dozens of people, in al-Kut, Wasit province, Iraq, July 17, 2025. Photo: Reuters

For example, in July 2021, a hospital fire in Nasiriyah killed between 60 and 92 people. Officials found that flammable “sandwich panel” cladding, which is banned in Iraq, had contributed to the blaze. Additionally, in 2023, over 100 people died in a fire at a wedding hall in Hamdaniya, Nineveh province, after ceiling panels caught fire following a pyrotechnics accident.

The Interior Ministry said most of those who died in the Kut shopping center fire died from suffocation. Fourteen of the bodies were severely burned and have yet to be identified.

Mohammed al-Mayyeh, governor of the province, declared three days of mourning in response to the tragedy. He also announced legal action has been initiated against the shopping center’s owner and the building’s owner, though specific charges were not disclosed.

“We assure the families of the victims that no leniency will be shown to those responsible, directly or indirectly,” al-Mayyeh said. He added that a preliminary investigation report would be made public within 48 hours.

Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani ordered the interior minister to visit the fire site and implement measures to prevent similar incidents in the future, according to an official statement.

(With files from Reuters | AP)