CNN
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A huge fire tore through a large shopping center in Iraq’s eastern city of Kut on Wednesday, killing dozens of people and devastating a community.

At least 61 people – including men, women and children – died in the blaze at the five-story Al-Kornish Hypermarket, and dozens more were rescued from the burning building, according to a statement from Iraq’s Ministry of Interior on Thursday morning.

“This heartbreaking fire claimed the lives of 61 innocent citizens, most of whom died from suffocation in the bathrooms due to the heavy smoke,” the interior ministry said, adding that it was “a deeply tragic incident that has shaken (Iraq’s) collective conscience.” The bodies of 14 people remained unidentified, it said.

Video footage geolocated by CNN showed the building engulfed by flames, with a group of people gathered on the rooftop as firefighters battled the blaze.

People were seen being helped through small windows by emergency responders in another video from regional authorities.

“Despite the severity of the situation, Civil Defense teams heroically managed to rescue more than 45 people who were trapped inside the building, with remarkable dedication and courage,” said the interior ministry.

The building, which housed a restaurant and hypermarket – a large supermarket – had only been open for seven days, the ministry said.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani requested a fully equipped medical team be sent to support the rescue efforts and instructed the Minister of Interior to immediately launch an investigation into the cause of the fire, according to a statement released by his office.

Al-Sudani extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed and was praying for them to find comfort, the statement said.

The interior minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari said a high-level investigative committee would “identify all points of failure and responsibility” and that any party “found negligent” would be held to account.

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Three days of mourning for the victims has been declared in the Wasit region, the local governor, Mohammed Jameel Al-Mayahi, said in a post on Facebook.

Al-Mayahi said details from an initial probe into the cause would be released within 48 hours. A legal case has been filed against the building owner, he added.

Iraq has witnessed similar deadly incidents in the past, often attributed to a lack of adherence to civil defense regulations, and poor safety measures and electrical short circuits.

In April 2021, a fire at Ibn al-Khatib Hospital in Baghdad claimed the lives of more than 80 patients in a COVID-19 isolation ward when oxygen tanks exploded.

In September 2023, a fire ripped through a wedding hall in Qaraqosh in northern Iraq, killing at least 100 and injuring 150 others.

This is a developing story and will be updated.