Over 60 killed after fire rips through newly opened mall in Iraq following AC explosion
According to government sources, a roaring fire destroyed the recently opened Corniche Hypermarket Mall in the eastern city of Kut, killing at least 61 people and leaving 11 more missing in one of the greatest catastrophes Iraq has witnessed in recent years.
Although the precise cause of the fire is still being investigated, it is thought to have begun when an air conditioner exploded.
Five days before the catastrophe, the five-story commercial complex—which included a restaurant, a supermarket, and many stores—had just opened.
According to reports, the fire started on the first level and spread horribly quickly, enveloping the entire structure in smoke and flames.
“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 heartbreaking statement, confirming the tragedy’s scale.
According to eyewitness accounts, there was pandemonium and despair as individuals made frantic attempts to flee.
According to one witness, the air was dense with black smoke, trapping a number of victims inside lavatories and elevators.
Dr. Nasir al-Quraishi, who was eating at the mall his family, remarked, “I lost five members of my family there.”
In order to escape the power outages at home and get some food, we headed to the mall for dinner.
We were unable to flee when an air conditioner on the second level suddenly exploded, starting a fire.
Over 45 people were rescued by civil defence forces after emergency responders put in endless effort to escape the building.
However, dozens were unable to flee due to the swift-moving flames and inadequate evacuation preparation.
Iraq has felt the shockwaves of the disaster’s magnitude.
“The tragedy is a major shock… and requires a serious review of all safety measures,” said Governor Miyahi of Wasit province, which is home to Kut, in a statement announcing three days of mourning.
Citing negligence and potential infractions of construction safety standards, he further stated that the mall’s owners and contractor will face legal action.
In an attempt to uncover what he called “shortcomings” in safety and emergency protocols, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has also stepped in and called for a “thorough probe” into the incident.
The Kut fire is a part of a concerning trend in Iraq where construction safety regulations are routinely disregarded.
The nation has long been criticised for having insufficient emergency infrastructure and enforcement of regulations.
In 2023, pyrotechnics ignited a wedding hall fire that killed over 100 people and led to a fatal stampede.
A hospital’s COVID-19 isolation unit caught fire in 2021, killing over 60 individuals. Subsequent investigations found significant safety procedural violations.
Public indignation over what many believe to be preventable catastrophes brought on by corruption, inadequate monitoring, and a disdain for fundamental fire safety regulations is intensifying as the country grieves the most recent fatalities.
Outside the burning remains of the shopping centre, a protester declared, “There are no sprinklers, no fire exits, no alarms—it’s as if these places are death traps.”
“People never leave the house when they go shopping or eat with their families.”
The government’s investigation will probably look into whether the Corniche Hypermarket Mall passed any fire safety tests before launching and whether any shortcuts were used during construction.
Families in Kut and around Iraq are left to grieve once more as recovery teams continue the gruesome work of identifying dead and finding the missing.
For the time being, the mall’s burned-out shell serves as a sobering reminder of the price of carelessness and the urgent need for reform in Iraq’s public safety and construction industries.
