Fire at Newly Opened Mall in Eastern Iraq Kills 61, Including Women and Children

Rescue teams clear the rubble on July 17, 2025, from the damaged shopping centre after a fire tore through the newly opened Hyper Mall overnight in the eastern Iraqi city of Kut, killing at least 60 people, according to Iraqi authorities

A devastating fire at a newly opened shopping mall in Kut, the capital of Iraq’s Wasit province, claimed the lives of at least 61 people late Wednesday, including women and children, according to the Iraqi Ministry of Interior. The majority of the victims died from suffocation, and 14 bodies remain unidentified due to extensive burns.

The blaze broke out in a five-story building housing the mall, which also contained a restaurant and a supermarket. The structure had only recently opened its doors to the public one week prior to the incident. Civil defense teams rescued more than 45 individuals who were trapped inside the building as flames engulfed the entire structure.

Authorities have confirmed that several people remain unaccounted for, and search operations continued into Thursday. Photos and videos from the scene showed the mall completely engulfed in flames, with thick black smoke pouring into the night sky.

Civil defense teams were able to rescue more than 45 people who were trapped inside the building, the statement said

Provincial Governor Mohammed al-Mayyeh declared three days of mourning and promised swift legal action. He announced that legal cases have been filed against the building owner and the mall owner, though specific charges were not disclosed. Al-Mayyeh vowed accountability, stating that authorities would not be lenient with anyone found responsible, either directly or indirectly.

The governor also said that a preliminary report on the cause of the fire would be made public within 48 hours.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani directed the Minister of Interior to travel to the site and oversee the investigation, while emphasizing the need for urgent measures to prevent similar disasters. The prime minister’s office highlighted the need for strict enforcement of safety regulations amid ongoing concerns about substandard construction practices in Iraq.

People gather at the site of a fire at a shopping center in al-Kut, Iraq, on July 16, 2025

Tragic fires fueled by poor building materials and lax enforcement have plagued Iraq in recent years. In July 2021, a hospital blaze in Nasiriyah killed between 60 and 92 people, with investigations blaming illegal “sandwich panel” cladding. In 2023, more than 100 people died in a wedding hall fire in Nineveh province after pyrotechnics ignited flammable ceiling panels.