A devastating fire engulfed a newly opened hypermarket in Kut, Iraq, killing at least 69 people and leaving 11 others missing, according to local health authorities and police sources. The blaze erupted Wednesday night in a five-story commercial complex that housed both a restaurant and the Corniche Hypermarket, which had been operational for just one week.
Iraq's Interior Ministry reported that civil defense teams brought the flames under control after rescuing more than 45 trapped individuals. Dramatic footage verified by Reuters showed firefighters battling towering flames through the night, with desperate survivors climbing down from the rooftop as emergency crews scrambled to assist.
The charred skeleton of the building now stands as a grim testament to the tragedy, with recovery operations continuing amid the smoldering wreckage. While the cause remains under investigation, the incident has raised urgent questions about fire safety standards in commercial developments across the region.
Kut, the capital of Wasit Province located 160 kilometers southeast of Baghdad, faces one of its worst urban disasters in recent memory. The rapid spread of flames through the modern complex has shocked residents and officials alike, prompting calls for immediate safety reviews of public spaces.
