Children among 61 dead in Iraq shopping mall blaze
Iraqi officials confirmed 61 fatalities, with most succumbing to suffocation, and 14 bodies remaining unidentified due to severe charring.
Civil defence teams successfully rescued more than 45 individuals from the five-storey complex, which had only been open for a week.
Provincial governor Mohammed al-Mayyeh declared three days of mourning and stated that legal cases have been filed against the building and mall owners as the cause is investigated.
The incident highlights ongoing concerns about poor building standards in Iraq, following previous deadly fires in hospitals and wedding halls.
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