A devastating fire at the newly opened Corniche Hypermarket Mall in Kut, eastern Iraq, has claimed at least 61 lives, with 11 people still missing. The five-story building, which included a supermarket and restaurant, had only opened five days earlier.
According to Iraq’s interior ministry, most victims died of suffocation, many trapped in bathrooms, with 14 bodies burned beyond recognition. One witness shared that five of his relatives died inside an elevator.
The fire reportedly began on the first floor and spread rapidly throughout the building. Though the exact cause remains under investigation, early accounts suggest an air conditioner explosion may have triggered the blaze.
Civil defense teams managed to rescue over 45 people from the burning structure. The tragedy is considered one of the deadliest in Iraq in recent years.