More than 60 people died, 11 went missing as a result of a fire in a shopping center in eastern Iraq
Kyiv • UNN
In the city of Kut, Iraq, a fire in the newly opened "Hypermarket" claimed the lives of over 60 people, including women and children. Another 11 people are considered missing after the incident that occurred on Wednesday evening.
On Wednesday evening, a devastating fire broke out at the "Hypermarket" shopping center in the city of Kut, the capital of Wasit province in eastern Iraq. On Thursday, Iraqi officials reported that more than 60 people, including women and children, died in the fire at the newly opened shopping center in Wasit province, eastern Iraq.
UNN reports with reference to RFI, AFP, and Anadolu Ajansı.
Details
The fire at a shopping center in the Iraqi city of Al-Kut on Wednesday evening killed 61 people, the Iraqi Interior Ministry said. Earlier, a medical source and a representative of the Wasit Provincial Health Department reported that the death toll exceeded 50.
Among the victims are 14 charred bodies that have not yet been identified
The fire started on the first floor and then quickly spread.
Ambulances continued to transport the injured until 4 AM, filling beds at the hospital in Kut, about 160 kilometers southeast of Baghdad.
An AFP correspondent reported that the shopping center had opened only five days ago. The fire was brought under control, but firefighters continued to search for missing people on Thursday. At least 11 people are reported missing.
Addition
The governor declared three days of mourning in the province and noted that local authorities would take legal action against the owner of the building and the shopping center. "This tragedy is a great shock. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the fire," he said.
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