A devastating fire at a newly opened shopping mall in eastern Iraq killed at least 69 people on Wednesday night, July 16, with most victims dying from smoke inhalation as they sought refuge in bathrooms throughout the five-story building.
The blaze erupted at the Corniche Hypermarket Mall in Kut, the capital of Wasit province, approximately 160 kilometers southeast of Baghdad. The shopping center had opened just seven days before the fire, according to Iraq’s Ministry of Interior.
Civil defense teams managed to rescue more than 45 people who became trapped inside the burning structure, and 14 bodies remained so severely charred they could not be identified. Videos circulating on social media showed the building completely engulfed in flames, with emergency responders helping people through small windows and rescuing others from the rooftop.
Provincial Governor Mohammed al-Miyahi declared three days of mourning and filed legal cases against both the building owner and mall operator, though he did not specify the charges. Al-Miyahi described the incident as “a heartbreaking tragedy for the people of Wasit” and alleged the building owner had not implemented necessary fire safety measures when converting the structure into a shopping center.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani visited the site Thursday morning and ordered an immediate investigation to identify any shortcomings. He directed the interior minister to launch a comprehensive probe into the fire’s causes and implement measures to prevent similar incidents. Al-Sudani also requested that a fully equipped medical team be sent to support rescue efforts.
Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari established a high-level investigative committee tasked with identifying all points of failure and responsibility, stating that any party found negligent would be held accountable.
Local residents joined firefighters in battling the blaze due to insufficient fire trucks to quickly control the flames. One witness, Dr. Nasir al-Quraishi, lost five family members in the fire. He told reporters his family had visited the mall to have dinner and escape power cuts at home when an air conditioner exploded on the second floor, causing the fire to spread rapidly.
Abdul Redha Thahab, a 60-year-old Kut resident, said his neighbor’s entire family of six was lost in the blaze. He indicated the building lacked proper fire safety measures, including emergency exit stairways. Another resident, Moataz Karim, identified two relatives’ bodies Thursday morning, including one who had begun working at the mall just three days earlier. “There is no fire extinguishing system,” he noted while waiting for news of a third missing relative.
The multi-story mall also housed a supermarket and a restaurant. Initial police reports suggested the fire began on the floor where perfumes and cosmetics were sold, though the exact cause remains under investigation. Emergency personnel continued search and recovery operations Thursday morning, with ambulances transporting casualties to local hospitals.
This tragedy follows a pattern of deadly fires in Iraq attributed to poor building standards and inadequate safety enforcement. In September 2023, a fire at a wedding hall in Qaraqosh killed more than 100 people when ceiling panels above pyrotechnic equipment burst into flames. The venue was covered with highly flammable Ecobond panels that violated safety regulations.
Similarly, a July 2021 fire at Ibn al-Khatib Hospital in Baghdad killed more than 80 patients in a COVID-19 isolation ward when oxygen tanks exploded. That blaze was fueled by highly flammable, low-cost sandwich panel cladding that is illegal in Iraq.
The Interior Ministry described the latest incident as deeply tragic, stating it had shaken the nation’s collective conscience. Officials emphasized their commitment to holding responsible parties accountable, with Governor al-Miyahi assuring victims’ families that there would be no leniency for those directly or indirectly responsible.
Safety standards are often poorly observed at Iraqi construction sites, which have faced decades of mismanagement and corruption. The repeated occurrence of such fires has raised ongoing concerns about building code enforcement and the approval process for business licenses throughout the country.
As rescue operations concluded, the community mourned the loss of entire families who had simply gone to the mall for shopping and dining. The state-run Iraqi News Agency reported that additional people remained missing as of Thursday, with search efforts continuing at the completely destroyed shopping center.
