BAGHDAD (Reuters) -A massive fire in a hypermarket in al-Kut city in southern Iraq has left at least 69 people dead and 11 others missing, the city's health authorities and two police sources told Reuters on Thursday.
Reuters' footage of the aftermath of the overnight fire showed the blackened exterior of "Corniche Hypermarket" building, with rescue teams and security forces still at the site.
Videos verified by Reuters showed firefighters spraying water on the blazing building overnight and people climbing from the roof with the help of rescue teams.
"We have more bodies that have not been recovered still under fire debris," city official Ali al-Mayahi told Reuters.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known, but an initial police report suggested that the fire had first erupted on the floor where perfumes and cosmetics are sold.
"Raging fires trapped many people inside the mall, and everyone was desperately trying to find a way out," said Ali Al-Zargani, whose house is next to the market building and who entered the premises after the fire had subsided.
"I saw the charred bodies of children and women lying on the ground — it was a horrifying scene."
While some of the bodies were prepared for burial, with mourners weeping and praying over the coffins, the remains of more than 15 severely burned victims required DNA testing for identification, a Reuters witness said.
As rescuers combed the smoke-charred building for more bodies, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered an immediate investigation to "uncover any shortcomings", his office said in a statement.
A statement from his office called for national mourning.
The provincial governor said initial results from an investigation would be announced within 48 hours, the INA state news agency reported.
"We have filed lawsuits against the owner of the building and the mall," INA quoted the governor as saying.
A lack of safety measures in Iraq has led to large death tolls in fires. In 2023, more than 100 people were killed after a fire swept through a crowded wedding hall in a northern town.
(Reporting by Aref Mohammed and Ahmed Rasheed in Baghdad, Additional reporting by Mahezabin Yesdhani Syed; Writing by Nayera Abdallah in Dubai; Editing by Bernadette Baum, Ros Russell, William Maclean)
