“Many Unidentified Bodies”: At Least 61 Dead in Devastating Mall Fire
At least 61 people have lost their lives after a massive fire tore through a multi-story shopping mall in Iraq, with one survivor saying the blaze was triggered by an air conditioning unit explosion.
Authorities have launched a full investigation into the deadly fire, which broke out at the newly opened six-floor Corniche Hypermarket Mall in Kut. The mall was crowded with shoppers—men, women, and children—when disaster struck.
According to reports, the fire began on the building’s first floor and quickly engulfed the entire structure. Shocking video footage shows the mall consumed by thick smoke and towering flames.
Heartbreaking clips shared on social media appear to show trapped individuals on the rooftop as the fire spread upward. Their fate remains uncertain.
Rescue teams managed to pull several people from the burning building, and ambulances continued transporting the injured to hospitals until 4 a.m. local time.
By morning, haunting images revealed the mall’s charred remains, as firefighters continued searching through the rubble for survivors and victims.
A medical official confirmed the presence of “many unidentified bodies” among the dead, which include adults and children. The Interior Ministry of Iraq issued a statement noting that “61 innocent people perished in the fire, most from suffocation in restrooms. Fourteen bodies remain too badly burned to identify.”
Search efforts and recovery operations are ongoing as families await word on missing loved ones.