Sixty-one dead and others missing after shopping centre fire in eastern Iraq city of Kut

Sixty-one people have died in a fire at a shopping centre in the eastern Iraq city of Kut.

It broke out late on Wednesday at the five-storey Corniche Hypermarket Mall, which only opened a week ago.

More than 45 people were rescued but others are still missing, according to the interior ministry and the Iraqi News Agency.

The ministry said most victims died from smoke inhalation and that 14 burned bodies were still unidentified.

Provincial governor Mohammed al Mayyeh declared three days of mourning and said legal cases had been opened against the owners of the centre.

"We assure the families of the innocent victims that we will not be lenient with those who were directly or indirectly responsible for this incident," he said.

The result of a preliminary investigation will be released within 48 hours.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al Sudani has ordered the interior minister to go to Kut to investigate and take steps to prevent a similar incident.

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Iraq has seen several previous cases of poor building standards contributing to deadly fires.

Dozens were killed in a hospital fire in Nasiriyah in 2021 after highly combustible and illegal cladding was used.

More than 100 also died at a wedding in Hamdaniya in 2023 after ceiling panels were set alight by a pyrotechnics machine.

(c) Sky News 2025: Sixty-one dead and others missing after shopping centre fire in eastern Iraq city of Kut