A devastating fire at a shopping mall in Iraq’s eastern Wasit province has claimed at least 50 lives, including women and children, according to the provincial governor.
Governor Mohammed al-Mayyeh announced a three-day period of mourning following the deadly blaze, which broke out on Wednesday in the town of Kut.
Details about the incident remain limited, but authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire. Legal proceedings have already been initiated against both the building owner and the mall owner, though specific charges have yet to be disclosed.
“We assure the families of the innocent victims that we will not show leniency towards anyone found directly or indirectly responsible,” al-Mayyeh said in a statement.
Syria declares ceasefire after deadly sectarian clashes
Fires caused by poor safety standards are not uncommon in Iraq. A similar tragedy occurred in July 2021 when a fire tore through a hospital in Nasiriyah, killing between 60 to 92 people. That incident was blamed on the use of highly flammable, low-cost “sandwich panel” cladding, which is banned in Iraq.
Another major fire in 2023 at a wedding hall in Nineveh province’s Hamdaniya district claimed over 100 lives after ceiling panels caught fire due to pyrotechnics.