CNN
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On Wednesday, he raided through a large shopping centre in Iraq’s eastern city of KUT, killing dozens of people and destroying the community.
At least 61 people were burned to death at the five-storey Alcorn Hypermarket, and dozens more were rescued from the burning building, according to a statement from the Iraqi Interior Ministry on Thursday morning.
“This heartbreaking fire claimed the lives of 61 innocent citizens, most of whom died from choking in the bathroom due to smoke,” the Home Office said, adding that it was a “deep tragic incident that pivoted Iraq’s collective conscience.” The bodies of the 14 people remained unidentified.
Video footage georoded by CNN showed a building engulfed in flames, a group of people gathered on the rooftop as firefighters fought the flames.
In another video from local authorities, people were seen being helped through small windows by emergency responders.
“In spite of the severity of the situation, the civil defense team was able to heroically rescue more than 45 people trapped inside the building with incredible dedication and courage,” the Interior Ministry said.
A building that houses a restaurant and a hypermarket – Big supermarket – The ministry said.
Iraq’s prime minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani has requested that a fully equipped medical team be dispatched to assist with rescue operations and has directed the Minister of Home Affairs to immediately begin an investigation into the cause of the fire, according to a statement released by his office.
Al Sudani had given his sincere deity to the families of those killed and prayed that they would find comfort, the statement said.
Home Minister Abdul Amir al-Shamari said the high-level investigative committee would “identify all points of failure and responsibility,” and the parties “deemed negative” would explain.
A three-day mourning for the victim has been declared in the wASIT region, local governor Mohammed Jameel al-Mayahi said in a Facebook post.
Al-Mayahi said details from the initial investigation into the cause would be released within 48 hours. A lawsuit has been filed against the owner of the building, he added.
Iraq has witnessed similar fatal incidents in the past, but in many cases there is a lack of compliance with civil defense regulations and inadequate safety measures and electrical short-circuits.
In April 2021, it insisted on the lives of more than 80 patients in a Covid-19 isolation ward when an oxygen tank exploded due to a fire at Ibn al-Khatib Hospital in Baghdad.
In September 2023, he ran through the wedding halls in Karakosh, northern Iraq, killing at least 100 people and injuring 150 people.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
