Latest news with #Miyahi
NZ Herald
7 days ago
- General
- NZ Herald
Blaze at shopping centre in Kut, Iraq, claims 50-plus lives, injures dozens
The cause was not immediately known but one survivor told AFP an air conditioner had exploded. Ambulances were still ferrying casualties to hospitals as late as 4am local time, filling the wards of a hospital in Kut, about 160km southeast of Baghdad. An AFP correspondent said the mall had only opened five days earlier and reported seeing charred bodies at the hospital. The fire has since been contained but firefighters were continuing to search for missing victims. Videos shared on social media showed distraught relatives waiting at the hospital for news, with some collapsing in grief. One man was seen sitting on the ground, pounding his chest and crying out, 'Oh my father, oh my heart'. Dozens of people gathered in front of the hospital checking ambulances as they arrived, and some of them collapsing on the floor in agony. 'We couldn't escape' One of them, Nasir al-Quraishi, a doctor in his 50s, said he lost five family members in the fire. 'A disaster has befallen us,' he told AFP. 'We went to the mall to have some food, eat dinner and escape power cuts at home. 🔴#LATEST — Fire at shopping mall in eastern Iraq kills 50, Iraqi sources report — Türkiye Today (@turkiyetodaycom) July 17, 2025 'An air conditioner exploded on the second floor and then the fire erupted and we couldn't escape.' Miyahi declared three days of mourning and said local authorities would file a lawsuit against the mall's owner and the building contractor. An investigation into the cause was under way, the governor said, adding preliminary findings were expected within 48 hours. 'The tragedy is a major shock ... and requires a serious review of all safety measures,' he said. Safety standards in Iraq's construction sector are often disregarded and the country, whose infrastructure is in disrepair after decades of conflict, is often the scene of fatal fires and accidents. Fires increase during the blistering summer as temperatures approach 50C. In September 2023, a fire killed at least 100 people when it ripped through a crowded Iraqi wedding hall, sparking a panicked stampede for the exits. In July 2021, a fire in the Covid unit of a hospital in southern Iraq killed more than 60 people. – Agence France-Presse
Al-Ahram Weekly
7 days ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
50 dead and injured in Iraq shopping mall fire: Governor - Region
Around 50 people were killed and injured in a fire that swept through a shopping mall in the eastern Iraqi city of Kut, state media said Thursday. "The number of victims has reached about 50 people, martyrs and injured, in the tragic fire at a major shopping centre," Wasit province governor Mohammed al-Miyahi told the official INA news agency. The blaze at the Hyper Mall broke out late Wednesday, but the cause has yet to be identified, said Miyahi. Ambulances were still transporting casualties as late as 4:00 am, filling beds of a hospital in Kut, about 160 kilometres (100 miles) southeast of Baghdad. An AFP correspondent said the mall had opened just five days ago. Initial reports suggested the fire started on the first floor. The correspondent reported seeing charred bodies in hospital. Miyahi declared three days of mourning in the province and said local authorities would file a lawsuit against the building and mall owner. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
New Indian Express
7 days ago
- New Indian Express
50 dead and injured in shopping mall fire in Iraqi city of Kut
BAGHDAD: Around 50 people were killed and injured in a fire that swept through a shopping mall in the eastern Iraqi city of Kut, state media said Thursday. "The number of victims has reached about 50 people, martyrs and injured, in the tragic fire at a major shopping centre," Wasit province governor Mohammed al-Miyahi told the official INA news agency. The blaze at the Hyper Mall broke out late Wednesday, but the cause has yet to be identified, said Miyahi. Ambulances were still transporting casualties as late as 4:00 am, filling beds of a hospital in Kut, about 160 kilometres (100 miles) southeast of Baghdad. An AFP correspondent said the mall had opened just five days ago. Initial reports suggested the fire started on the first floor. The correspondent reported seeing charred bodies in hospital. Miyahi declared three days of mourning in the province and said local authorities would file a lawsuit against the building and mall owner.
