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Al-Ahram Weekly
6 days ago
- Health
- Al-Ahram Weekly
55 dead in Iraq shopping mall fire: Health officials - Region
A fire tore through a shopping mall in the eastern Iraqi city of Kut overnight, killing more than 50 people, medical sources told AFP Thursday. "We have more than 50 martyrs, and many unidentified bodies," a medical source said. An official in the health department of Wasit province put the toll at 55 dead, adding that rescuers are still looking for missing victims. Wasit province governor Mohammed al-Miyahi had earlier told the official INA news agency that "the number of victims has reached 50 people, martyrs and injured, in the tragic fire at a major shopping centre". The blaze broke out late Wednesday, reportedly starting on the first floor before rapidly engulfing the Hyper Mall. 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 4:00 am, filling the wards of a hospital in Kut, about 160 kilometres (100 miles) 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. "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 underway, 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 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). 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. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Iraqi News
6 days ago
- Health
- Iraqi News
AC blast suspected in deadly Iraq mall fire
Kut – A fire tore through a shopping mall in the eastern Iraqi city of Kut overnight, killing more than 50 people, medical sources told AFP Thursday. 'We have more than 50 martyrs, and many unidentified bodies,' a medical source said. An official in the health department of Wasit province put the toll at 55 dead, adding that rescuers are still looking for missing victims. Wasit province governor Mohammed al-Miyahi had earlier told the official INA news agency that 'the number of victims has reached 50 people, martyrs and injured, in the tragic fire at a major shopping centre'. The blaze broke out late Wednesday, reportedly starting on the first floor before rapidly engulfing the Hyper Mall. 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 4:00 am, filling the wards of a hospital in Kut, about 160 kilometres (100 miles) 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. 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. '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 underway, 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 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). 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.
Observer
6 days ago
- Health
- Observer
Iraq shopping mall fire kills and injures 50: governor
A fire that swept through a shopping mall in the eastern Iraqi city of Kut overnight killed and injured around 50 people, 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 broke out late Wednesday, reportedly starting on the first floor before rapidly engulfing the Hyper Mall. The cause was not immediately known. Ambulances were still ferrying casualties to hospitals as late as 4:00 am, filling the wards of a hospital in Kut, about 160 kilometres (100 miles) 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 for news, with some collapsing in grief as ambulances arrived. 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 people collapsed on the floor in agony. 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. "An air conditioner exploded on the second floor and then the fire erupted and we couldnt escape it." 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 underway, 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 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). 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.
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- General
- Scottish Sun
At least 60 dead as giant inferno rips through high-rise supermarket with horror footage showing building gutted in Iraq
BLAZE DISASTER At least 60 dead as giant inferno rips through high-rise supermarket with horror footage showing building gutted in Iraq Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AT least 60 people have died after a massive fire ripped through a high-rise supermarket in Iraq. The blaze at the newly-opened six-storey Hyper Mall in the city of Kut, where men, women and children were shopping at the time. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Footage shows the massive fire in the building 3 A fire truck stands next to the wreckage of a five-storey shopping center Credit: Reuters 3 Military personnel members sit in a vehicle near the wreckage of a shopping center Credit: Reuters The blaze broke out late Wednesday, reportedly starting on the first floor before rapidly engulfing the building. Though the fire was eventually contained, firefighters continued searching for missing victims. Civil defence teams rescued more than 45 people who were trapped inside the five-storey building, which includes a restaurant and a supermarket, the interior ministry said. "The tragic fire claimed the lives of 61 innocent citizens, most of whom suffocated in bathrooms, and among them 14 charred bodies yet to be identified," the interior ministry said in a statement. Dozens of people gathered outside the hospital checking ambulances as they arrived, some of them overcome with emotion. One of them, Nasir al-Quraishi, a doctor in his 50s, said he lost five family members in the fire. More to follow... For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos. Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X at @TheUSSun
NZ Herald
6 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
