BAGHDAD — A large hearth in a hypermarket in al-Kut metropolis in southern Iraq has left at the least 69 individuals lifeless and 11 others lacking, the town’s well being authorities and two police sources instructed Reuters on Thursday.
Reuters’ footage of the aftermath of the in a single day hearth confirmed the blackened exterior of “Corniche Hypermarket” constructing, with rescue groups and safety forces nonetheless on the web site.
Movies verified by Reuters confirmed firefighters spraying water on the blazing constructing in a single day and folks climbing from the roof with the assistance of rescue groups.
“We now have extra our bodies that haven’t been recovered nonetheless below hearth particles,” metropolis official Ali al-Mayahi instructed Reuters.
The reason for the fireplace was not instantly recognized, however an preliminary police report advised that the fireplace had first erupted on the ground the place perfumes and cosmetics are bought.
“Raging fires trapped many individuals contained in the mall, and everybody was desperately looking for a method out,” stated Ali Al-Zargani, whose home is subsequent to the market constructing and who entered the premises after the fireplace had subsided.
“I noticed the charred our bodies of youngsters and ladies mendacity on the bottom—it was a horrifying scene.”
A lady mourns outdoors the forensic drugs division of a hospital following the fireplace, in al-Kut, Wasit province, Iraq, July 17, 2025. REUTERS/ Ahmed Saad
Whereas a few of the our bodies have been ready for burial, with mourners weeping and praying over the coffins, the stays of greater than 15 severely burned victims required DNA testing for identification, a Reuters witness stated.
As rescuers combed the smoke-charred constructing for extra our bodies, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered an instantaneous investigation to “uncover any shortcomings”, his workplace stated in an announcement.
An announcement from his workplace known as for nationwide mourning.
The provincial governor stated preliminary outcomes from an investigation could be introduced inside 48 hours, the INA state information company reported.
“We now have filed lawsuits towards the proprietor of the constructing and the mall,” INA quoted the governor as saying.
An absence of security measures in Iraq has led to giant loss of life tolls in fires. In 2023, greater than 100 individuals have been killed after a hearth swept by a crowded marriage ceremony corridor in a northern city. — Reuters
