Latest news with #CornicheHypermarket
Asharq Al-Awsat
3 days ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Six Local Officials Detained Over Iraq Deadly Mall Fire
Iraq has detained six local officials and suspended other public employees following a fire that killed 61 people at a shopping mall earlier this week, authorities said Saturday. The blaze broke out late Wednesday in a newly opened shopping mall in the eastern city of Kut. After an initial investigation, the interior ministry said "there was clear negligence among several officials and employees" in Kut, located around 160 kilometers southeast of Baghdad. It added that three local officials, including the head of civil defense in Kut, had been detained, and 17 employees suspended from work until further notice. The Commission of Integrity, an anti-graft body, said later that security forces had detained three more officials "over the violations that led to the fire" at the Corniche Hypermarket Mall, including the head of the violations department at Kut's municipality. Officials say their investigation is ongoing, and the number of detainees may change. The cause of the mall fire was not immediately known, but one survivor told AFP an air conditioner had exploded on the second floor before the five-story building was rapidly engulfed in flames. Several people told AFP they lost family members -- and in some cases whole families -- who had gone to shop and dine at the mall days after it opened.
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Officials try to identify 18 bodies in deadly Iraq shopping mall fire
BAGHDAD (AP) — Officials struggled Friday to identify more than a dozen bodies pulled from a deadly shopping mall fire in Iraq, amid ongoing investigations into what caused the blaze. An Iraqi medical official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment said the final death toll was 63, including 18 bodies that could not be identified due to the severity of the burns and would undergo DNA testing. The Corniche Hypermarket mall in the town of Kut in Wasit province, a five-story building containing restaurants, shops and a supermarket, had opened just days before the blaze, which officials said broke out late Wednesday on the second floor in an area selling perfume and cosmetics. Civil defense crews were able to rescue 45 people from the burning building. Officials said that most of those who died were trapped on the upper floors. While the cause of the fire has not yet been determined, officials blamed lack of safety standards in the building for the scale of the tragedy. Provincial Gov. Mohammed al-Miyahi has said that the building owner did not implement fire safety measures and had not applied for required permits. The provincial council of Wasit on Thursday voted to form committees to carry out building safety inspections and to suspend the director of Kut municipality and the director of occupational safety until investigations into the fire are complete. Al-Miyahi said Thursday that legal complaints had been filed against the building owner and shopping center owner, who could not be reached for comment. The governor said in a press conference that the son of the shopping center owner and other members of his family were among the victims in the blaze. Poor building standards have often contributed to tragic fires in Iraq. In July 2021, a blaze at a hospital in the Iraqi city of Nasiriyah that killed between 60 to 92 people was determined to have been fueled by highly flammable, low-cost type of 'sandwich panel' cladding that is illegal in Iraq. In 2023, more than 100 people died in a fire at a wedding hall in the predominantly Christian area of Hamdaniya in Nineveh province after the ceiling panels above a pyrotechnic machine burst into flames. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Nahar Net
4 days ago
- Nahar Net
Officials try to identify 18 bodies in deadly Iraq shopping mall fire
by Naharnet Newsdesk 18 July 2025, 16:54 Officials struggled Friday to identify more than a dozen bodies pulled from a deadly shopping mall fire in Iraq, amid ongoing investigations into what caused the blaze. An Iraqi medical official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment said the final death toll was 63, including 18 bodies that could not be identified due to the severity of the burns and would undergo DNA testing. The Corniche Hypermarket mall in the town of Kut in Wasit province, a five-story building containing restaurants, shops and a supermarket, had opened just days before the blaze, which officials said broke out late Wednesday on the second floor in an area selling perfume and cosmetics. Civil defense crews were able to rescue 45 people from the burning building. Officials said that most of those who died were trapped on the upper floors. While the cause of the fire has not yet been determined, officials blamed lack of safety standards in the building for the scale of the tragedy. Provincial Gov. Mohammed al-Miyahi has said that the building owner did not implement fire safety measures and had not applied for required permits. The provincial council of Wasit on Thursday voted to form committees to carry out building safety inspections and to suspend the director of Kut municipality and the director of occupational safety until investigations into the fire are complete. Al-Miyahi said Thursday that legal complaints had been filed against the building owner and shopping center owner, who could not be reached for comment. The governor said in a press conference that the son of the shopping center owner and other members of his family were among the victims in the blaze. Poor building standards have often contributed to tragic fires in Iraq. In July 2021, a blaze at a hospital in the Iraqi city of Nasiriyah that killed between 60 to 92 people was determined to have been fueled by highly flammable, low-cost type of "sandwich panel" cladding that is illegal in Iraq. In 2023, more than 100 people died in a fire at a wedding hall in the predominantly Christian area of Hamdaniya in Nineveh province after the ceiling panels above a pyrotechnic machine burst into flames.
Euronews
4 days ago
- Euronews
Iraqi officials try to identify 18 bodies from shopping centre fire
Officials in Iraq have been struggling on Friday to identify more than a dozen bodies pulled from a deadly fire in a shopping centre, as investigations continue to determine the cause of the blaze. An Iraqi medical official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the final death toll from Wednesday's fire was 63, including 18 bodies that could not be identified due to the severity of the burns and would undergo DNA testing. The Corniche Hypermarket centre in the town of Kut in Wasit province, a five-story building containing restaurants, shops and a supermarket, had opened just days before the blaze, which officials said broke out on the second floor in an area selling perfume and cosmetics. Civil defence crews were able to rescue 45 people from the burning building. Officials said that most of those who died were trapped on the upper floors. While the cause of the fire has not yet been determined, officials blamed a lack of safety standards in the building for the scale of the tragedy. Provincial Governor Mohammed al-Miyahi stated that the building owner had failed to implement fire safety measures and had not obtained the required permits. The provincial council of Wasit voted on Thursday to form committees to conduct building safety inspections and to suspend the directors of the Kut municipality and occupational safety until investigations into the fire are complete. Al-Miyahi said on Thursday that legal complaints had been filed against the building owner and shopping centre owner, who could not be reached for comment. The governor said at a press conference that the son of the centre owner and other members of his family were among the victims. Poor building standards have often contributed to tragic fires in Iraq. In July 2021, a blaze at a hospital in the city of Nasiriyah that killed between 60 and 92 people was determined to have been fuelled by highly flammable, low-cost type of "sandwich panel" cladding that is illegal in Iraq. In 2023, more than 100 people died in a fire at a wedding hall in Hamdaniya, Nineveh province, after the ceiling panels above a pyrotechnic machine burst into flames.
Euronews
4 days ago
- Euronews
Video. Newly opened mall in Iraq destroyed by fire, killing dozens
A devastating fire that tore through a five-storey shopping centre in the Iraqi city of Kut has killed at least 61 people, including women and children, officials say. The blaze broke out late Wednesday at the Corniche Hypermarket, just a week after its opening. Most victims reportedly died from suffocation, and some bodies remain unidentified. Firefighters rescued more than 45 people, some from the mall's roof, as flames tore through the building, which housed a supermarket and restaurant. The cause of the fire is under investigation, and legal cases have been filed against the mall and building owners. Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani has ordered an inquiry, while the provincial governor has declared three days of mourning.
