Latest news with #hypermarket
Reuters
2 days ago
- Reuters
Fire at Iraq mall kills 69, prime minister orders probe
BAGHDAD, July 17 (Reuters) - A massive fire in a hypermarket in al-Kut city in southern Iraq has left at least 69 people dead and 11 others missing, the city's health authorities and two police sources told Reuters on Thursday. Reuters' footage of the aftermath of the overnight fire showed the blackened exterior of "Corniche Hypermarket" building, with rescue teams and security forces still at the site. Videos verified by Reuters showed firefighters spraying water on the blazing building overnight and people climbing from the roof with the help of rescue teams. "We have more bodies that have not been recovered still under fire debris," city official Ali al-Mayahi told Reuters. The cause of the fire was not immediately known, but an initial police report suggested that the fire had first erupted on the floor where perfumes and cosmetics are sold. "Raging fires trapped many people inside the mall, and everyone was desperately trying to find a way out," said Ali Al-Zargani, whose house is next to the market building and who entered the premises after the fire had subsided. "I saw the charred bodies of children and women lying on the ground — it was a horrifying scene." While some of the bodies were prepared for burial, with mourners weeping and praying over the coffins, the remains of more than 15 severely burned victims required DNA testing for identification, a Reuters witness said. As rescuers combed the smoke-charred building for more bodies, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered an immediate investigation to "uncover any shortcomings", his office said in a statement. A statement from his office called for national mourning. The provincial governor said initial results from an investigation would be announced within 48 hours, the INA state news agency reported. "We have filed lawsuits against the owner of the building and the mall," INA quoted the governor as saying. A lack of safety measures in Iraq has led to large death tolls in fires. In 2023, more than 100 people were killed after a fire swept through a crowded wedding hall in a northern town.
CNA
2 days ago
- CNA
Fire at mall in Iraq leaves at least 69 dead: Officials
BAGHDAD: A massive fire in a hypermarket in al-Kut city in eastern Iraq has left at least 69 people dead and 11 others missing, the city's health authorities and two police sources told Reuters on Thursday (Jul 17). Reuters' footage of the aftermath of the overnight fire showed the blackened exterior of the "Corniche Hypermarket" building, with rescue teams and security forces still at the site. Videos verified by Reuters showed firefighters spraying water on the blazing building overnight and people climbing from the roof with the help of rescue teams. "We have more bodies that have not been recovered still under fire debris," city official Ali al-Mayahi told Reuters. The cause of the fire was not immediately known, but the province's governor said initial results from an investigation would be announced within 48 hours, the INA state news agency reported. "We have filed lawsuits against the owner of the building and the mall," INA quoted the governor as saying. A lack of safety measures in Iraq has led to large death tolls in fires. In 2023, more than 100 people were killed after a fire swept through a crowded wedding hall in a northern Iraqi town.
The National
2 days ago
- The National
At least 61 people killed in hypermarket fire in Iraq
At least 61 people have been killed in a massive fire at a hypermarket in the Iraqi city of Kut, with many of the victims dying from suffocation inside bathrooms filled with smoke. Iraq's interior ministry said more than 45 others had been rescued, while 14 charred bodies recovered from the scene remained unidentified. Mohammed Al Mayahi, the governor of Wasit province, of which Kut is the capital, announced a three-day mourning period after the 'tragic fire in one of the commercial centres' on Wednesday night. The cause of the blaze was not immediately known, but the governor said initial findings from an investigation would be announced within 48 hours, Iraq's state news agency reported. Videos circulating on social media showed flames engulfing the five-storey hypermarket, sending thick plumes of smoke into the air as panicked shoppers rushed to escape. Firefighters raced to extinguish the blaze and rescue those trapped inside. The interior ministry said most of the victims died from smoke inhalation while trapped in bathrooms. Families, many with young children, were seen fleeing the scene, some clutching babies as they coughed and covered their faces to shield themselves from the smoke. Others were trapped on upper floors. On Thursday morning, grieving families gathered outside the city's main hospital and morgue to pick up the bodies of their loved ones. Women were wailing and beating their chests in grief. Safety standards in the construction sector are frequently flouted in Iraq, with accidents common. Widespread corruption and weak government monitoring have been blamed for the lack of standards in many areas of the country. High-profile disasters in recent years include hospital fires that have led to hundreds of deaths, with these incidents blamed on poor storage of highly flammable oxygen cylinders, faulty electrical wiring and a general lack of safety measures. In September 2023, a devastating wedding inferno left more than 100 people dead in the predominantly Christian district of Al Hamdaniyah, also known as Qaraqosh, to the east of Mosul, when about 1,000 guests were packed into a hall.
ABC News
3 days ago
- ABC News
Dozens killed in Iraq market fire as governor declares three days of mourning
A massive fire at a new hypermarket in the eastern Iraqi province of Wasit has killed dozens of people and left at least 11 missing, the city's health authorities and two police sources told Reuters. Videos circulating on social media on Thursday showed flames engulfing a five-storey building in the city of al-Kut overnight as firefighters tried to contain the blaze. Reuters could not independently verify the videos. The blaze broke out late on Wednesday, reportedly starting on the first floor before rapidly engulfing the mall. Iraq's interior ministry said that at least 61 people had been killed in the fire. "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 ministry said in a statement. Civil defence teams were able to rescue more than 45 people who were trapped inside the building, the statement said. The mall, which had opened only a week earlier, was in a five-story building that also contained a restaurant and supermarket. In a statement, the province's governor, Mohammed al-Mayyeh, declared three days of mourning. He said the cause of the fire was still under investigation, but authorities had filed legal cases against the owners of the building and the mall. He did not specify the charges. "We have filed lawsuits against the owner of the building and the mall." The results of the preliminary investigation will be released within 48 hours, Mr al-Mayyeh said. The office of Iraq's prime minister, Mohammed S Al-Sudani, also said in a statement on Thursday that Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari had been directed to visit the site of the blaze, and an immediate investigation would be launched into its causes. "He also called for a thorough technical investigation to identify any shortcomings and to take all necessary strict measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents," the statement said. "As part of his ongoing follow-up on the repercussions of this unfortunate incident, the prime minister ordered the dispatch of a fully equipped medical team to support efforts in treating and caring for the injured. "Prime Minister Al-Sudani expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and his heartfelt solidarity with them, praying to Almighty God to grant them patience and solace." Ambulances transported victims to hospitals until 4am local time on Thursday, filling the wards of a hospital in Kut, about 160 kilometres south-east of Baghdad. An AFP correspondent reported seeing charred bodies at the hospital. The fire has since been contained, but firefighters were continuing to search for missing victims. Dozens of people gathered in front of the hospital, checking ambulances as they arrived, and some collapsed on the floor in agony. One of them, Nasir al-Quraishi, a doctor in his 50s, told the AFP news agency that 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. 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 to 92 people was determined to have been fuelled by highly flammable, low-cost "sandwich panel" cladding that is illegal in the country. 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. Wires
Arab News
3 days ago
- Arab News
Fire at mall in Iraq leaves at least 60 dead, officials say
BAGHDAD: A massive fire in a hypermarket in Al-Kut city in eastern Iraq has left at least 60 people dead and 11 others missing, the city's health authorities and two police sources told Reuters on Thursday. Videos circulating on social media showed flames engulfing a five-story building in Al-Kut overnight as firefighters tried to contain the blaze. Reuters could not independently verify the videos. 'We have compiled a list of 59 victims whose identities have been confirmed, but one body was so badly burned that it has been extremely difficult to identify,' a city health official told Reuters. 'We have more bodies that have not been recovered still under fire debris,' city official Ali Al-Mayahi told Reuters. The cause of the fire was not immediately known, but the province's governor said initial results from an investigation would be announced within 48 hours, the state news agency (INA)reported. 'We have filed lawsuits against the owner of the building and the mall,' INA quoted the governor as saying.
