By Atoyebi Nike
At least 60 people have been confirmed dead and 11 others remain missing following a devastating fire at the Corniche Hypermarket in al-Kut, eastern Iraq, late Wednesday night. The hypermarket, which had opened just a week earlier, went up in flames, prompting a massive emergency response.
According to Iraq’s Interior Ministry, most victims died from smoke inhalation while trapped in bathrooms. Fourteen charred bodies remain unidentified, and 45 people were rescued from inside the building. Firefighters battled the blaze for hours, with videos on social media showing dramatic rooftop rescues and flames engulfing multiple floors.
Regional governor Mohammed al-Miyahi described the incident as a tragedy, declaring three days of mourning and vowing legal action against the mall’s owner. Eyewitnesses reported that the fire started after an air conditioner exploded on the second floor. One survivor, Nasir al-Quraishi, recounted how five members of his family perished as they tried to escape the inferno.
Grieving relatives continued searching hospitals into the early morning. “There was no fire extinguishing system,” said Moataz Karim, who lost two family members and was still awaiting news on a third.
The Corniche Hypermarket is located in the centre of Kut, around 160 kilometers southeast of Baghdad. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
