A massive fire broke out at a shopping mall in Kut, Iraq, killing at least 50 people, according to news. The incident happened late Wednesday night, just five days after the mall opened.
Videos on social media showed the five-storey building completely covered in flames and thick smoke as firefighters struggled to control the fire. The exact cause of the fire is still unknown, but reports say it may have started on the first floor and spread quickly.
#BREAKING: At least 50 people, mostly women and children, were killed in a fire that broke out early Thursday at a shopping mall in the city of Kut, Iraq’s Wasit province, Governor Mohammed Jameel al-Miyahi announced. The blaze has since been brought under control.
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Ambulances were rushing victims to nearby hospitals throughout the night. The hospitals soon became overcrowded with injured people. A reporter saw charred bodies at the hospital, and many people were still missing by Thursday morning.
One of the victims, Dr. Nasir al-Quraishi, said he lost five family members in the fire. He shared, “We went to the mall for dinner because there was no power at home. An air conditioner exploded on the second floor, and then the fire spread. We couldn’t get out.”
Heartbreaking videos showed families crying and collapsing in grief outside the hospital as they waited for news. One man was seen shouting, “Oh my father, oh my heart.”
The Governor of Kut, Miyahi, declared three days of mourning. He also said that legal action will be taken against the mall’s owner and contractor, and called for an urgent check of safety standards in malls and buildings across Iraq.
