Deadly fire rips through shopping centre in Iraq
The blaze at the mall, which had reportedly opened five days ago, broke out on Wednesday night and has since been brought under control.
Medical officials quoted by news agency AFP said said 55 people died in the fire, with rescuers still looking for missing people.
"A tragedy and a calamity has befallen us," regional governor Mohammed al-Miyahi said, adding that legal action would be brought against the shopping centre's owner.
Videos on INA's news channel show flames ripping through several floors of a multi-storey building as firefighters try to douse them.
Other clips circulating on social media appear to show a small number of people on the roof during the fire, as well as the burned out insides of the centre.
A number of people were rescued from the building by firefighters, al-Miyahi told local media.
Ambulances were still taking casualties to hospitals in the city, which is about 160 km (100 miles) southeast of Baghdad, at 04:00 local time.
Firefighters are continuing to search for missing victims.
Nasir al-Quraishi, a doctor in his 50s, told AFP he lost five family members in the blaze.
"A disaster has befallen us," he said. "We went to the mall to have some food, eat dinner and escape power cuts at home.
"An air conditioner exploded on the second floor and then the fire erupted and we couldn't escape it."
A medical source told the agency: "We have more than 50 martyrs, and many unidentified bodies".
An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway, with preliminary findings expected within two days, al-Miyahi said.
"The tragedy is a major shock," he said, adding that a "serious review of all safety measures" would take place.
The shopping had opened just five days ago, AFP reported.
It has been named as the Corniche Hypermarket Mall in the centre of Kut by local media.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.
Life inside Iraq's 'Forbidden Zone' controlled by Turkey
Iraq sandstorm leaves many with breathing problems
Islamic State leader in Iraq and Syria killed, US says
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
3 days ago
- New York Times
Children Burned by Fighter Crash in Bangladesh Die Days Later
It was about 1 p.m. on Monday when Tahmina Akhter arrived to pick her two children up from school. Her son, age 7, emerged a few minutes later, Ms. Akhter said, but went back to fetch his 12-year-old sister. That must have been just after 1:18 p.m. Moments later, before the siblings could return, a fighter jet flipped in midair and crashed into their school building in the Uttara neighborhood of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Its unspent fuel ignited like napalm. Brother and sister were both severely burned, along with dozens of other students. Within the next two days, both had died. The children were among at least 30 killed by the crash. The Bangladeshi military said in a statement on Monday that a mechanical error had caused the crash and that further investigation was underway. Most of those killed on the ground were children between 9 and 14. The severe nature of the burns they suffered left at least 55 more in hospitals. Seven were in critical condition at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery on Thursday, including four on life support. Dr. Anubhav Gupta, a plastic surgeon and burn specialist at Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi, said that for burn patients who survive the first two days after an accident, the next two or three days is 'our golden time.' The patients have been stabilized by then, he said, with wounds dressed and intensive hydration supplied, and infection has not yet set in. It is the moment of opportunity for transplants of skin and artificial tissues. There was no such opportunity for Ms. Akhter's children. Soon after the plane crash, Ms. Akhter was joined by her husband, Ashraful Islam, an ex-soldier. He had been less than a mile away and rushed to the school in time to see a fireball billowing out. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Pilots killed in Southend Airport plane crash named
Two pilots killed when a plane crashed at Southend Airport earlier this month have been named. They were captain Danny Marco Franken and first officer Floris Christiaan Rhee, said flight operator Zeusch Aviation. They are believed to be Dutch. The chartered plane, which had taken a patient to the UK for treatment, crashed shortly after take-off at the airport on 13 July. It's thought the patient had been dropped off and the aircraft was heading back to base in the Netherlands. Two passengers, a female nurse and a male doctor, also died. Zeusch Aviation boss Marco Rietvelt said the pilots were "highly skilled". "Their passion for flying was matched by their dedication to their colleagues and the important missions they carried out," said a statement. "We are all deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic loss. "Our priority is to support the families of those lost, as well as our employees, during this incredibly difficult time. "We are also fully committed to assisting the authorities in their ongoing investigation." The nurse who died was named in reports as 31-year-old Maria Fernanda Rojaz Ortiz, originally from Chile, and the doctor was named as German national Dr Matthias Eyl, 46. The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch is investigating. Read more from Sky News: John Johnson, who was at the airport with his wife and children, said the Beechcraft Super King Air 200 crashed soon after take off. "It took off and about three or four seconds [later] it started to bank heavily to its left, and then within a few seconds of that happening, it more or less inverted and crashed just head first into the ground," he said. The pilots had waved at his family moments earlier as they taxied the plane to the take-off position, Mr Johnson said. Zeusch Aviation is based at Lelystad Airport in the Netherlands.
Medscape
3 days ago
- Medscape
A Puzzling Pneumothorax in a 36-Year-Old Woman
A 36-year-old woman with no significant medical history presented with recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax accompanied by acute chest pain and shortness of breath, an unusual occurrence, particularly in non-smokers without underlying lung disease. The case was reported by Farman H. Fatah, MD, and colleagues from the University of Sulaymaniyah, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. The Patient and Her History The patient presented to the emergency department with acute left-sided chest pain and shortness of breath. She had a history of asthma and right-sided spontaneous pneumothorax 7 years earlier, which was treated with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and pleurodesis. Her family history was notable for asthma on her mother's side and colonic cancer on her father's side. She denied any history of smoking or environmental exposures. On physical examination, breath sounds were markedly decreased over the left hemithorax. A chest x-ray was performed, revealing a left-sided apical pneumothorax characterised by a region of radiolucency with absent lung markings, indicating air accumulation in the pleural space. A pigtail catheter was inserted to relieve the pneumothorax. Despite appropriate pigtail placement and conservative management, the pneumothorax persisted. The patient was referred for surgical evaluation and underwent VATS with pleurodesis and wedge resection. Intraoperatively, a ruptured subpleural bleb in the left upper lobe was identified and excised. Histopathology of the resected tissue was non-specific and showed no malignancy. A chest CT was performed to investigate the underlying cause. Imaging revealed the site of the bleb rupture and multiple thin-walled cysts scattered throughout the lung parenchyma. Given the history of recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax, presence of bilateral pulmonary cysts, and family history of cancer, Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome (BHDS) was suspected. Findings and Diagnosis Genetic testing for mutations in the FLCN gene confirmed the diagnosis. The test included sequencing and deletion/duplication analyses of FLCN . A pathogenic mutation in FLCN , confirmed by molecular testing, established a diagnosis of BHDS. BDHS is a rare autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutations in the FLCN gene and is characterised by a clinical triad of pulmonary cysts with spontaneous pneumothorax, cutaneous fibrofolliculomas, and renal tumours. Although the estimated prevalence of BHDS is approximately two cases per million, its actual incidence is believed to be higher due to frequent underdiagnosis and highly variable clinical presentations, even among members of the same family. BHDS is often suspected in patients presenting with cystic lung lesions, a family history of related manifestations, recurrent pneumothorax, and characteristic dermatologic findings. A definitive diagnosis is established through genetic testing to confirm pathogenic variants in the FLCN gene. The patient had no known renal or dermatologic manifestations at the time of diagnosis of the disease. She continued to experience mild postoperative dyspnoea and chest discomfort but resumed her daily activities and returned to work. She was scheduled for routine follow-up, including pulmonary function testing and renal surveillance imaging, according to the BHDS management guidelines. Discussion Pulmonary manifestations are often the earliest and most prominent clinical features of BHDS, frequently preceding skin and renal findings. The syndrome is characterised by multiple bilateral pulmonary cysts that tend to be irregular, thin-walled, and predominantly located in the basal and subpleural regions of the lungs. These cysts predispose affected individuals to spontaneous pneumothorax, which can be the first and sometimes the only presenting symptom. One of the key challenges in diagnosing BHDS is its variable presentations. While the classical triad includes skin fibrofolliculomas, renal tumours, and pulmonary cysts, some individuals, like our patient, may present solely with pulmonary involvement. This phenotypic variability can lead to delayed or missed diagnoses, particularly when cutaneous or renal signs are absent or subtle. Approximately 41% of pulmonary cysts present with spontaneous pneumothorax, with a recurrence rate of 41%. The majority of patients (> 90%) develop multiple fibrofolliculomas, especially on the face and upper trunk, in the second or third decade of life, with dermatologic findings serving as the first clinical clue in 25%-50% of cases. Renal tumours are observed in nearly 30% of patients, at a mean age of 50 years. Although the estimated prevalence of BHDS is approximately two cases per million, its actual incidence is believed to be higher due to frequent underdiagnosis and highly variable clinical presentations, even among members of the same family. This highlights the importance of considering BHDS in the differential diagnosis of spontaneous pneumothorax, particularly when it is recurrent or associated with atypical cystic lung disease. Genetic confirmation through FLCN mutation testing is crucial not only to establish a definitive diagnosis but also to initiate appropriate long-term surveillance for potentially life-threatening renal malignancies. Surgical intervention, such as VATS pleurodesis, may be necessary when conservative approaches fail. This case underscores the importance of considering BHDS in patients presenting with recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax, particularly when bilateral pulmonary cysts are evident and no other clear aetiology is identified.
