Baghdad, July 17, 2025: A devastating fire at a hypermarket in the eastern Iraqi city of al-Kut has claimed the lives of at least 60 people, with 11 others still unaccounted for, local health authorities and police sources told Reuters on Thursday.
The blaze tore through a five-storey commercial building overnight, as seen in videos circulating on social media that showed flames engulfing the structure while firefighters struggled to contain the inferno. Reuters has not independently verified the footage.
“We have confirmed the identities of 59 victims, but one body was burned beyond recognition,” a city health official said. Several more victims are believed to be trapped under the rubble, according to Ali al-Mayahi, a senior city official.
The cause of the fire remains unclear. However, the provincial governor told state news agency INA that an initial investigation is underway, with preliminary findings expected within 48 hours.
“We have filed legal cases against the owner of the building and the mall,” the governor said, as quoted by INA.
Authorities continue search and recovery operations as the scale of the tragedy unfolds in one of the deadliest commercial fires in recent Iraqi history.
