Fire at Iraqi Market Kills 63

Last Thursday night, a devastating fire broke out at a hypermarket in the city of Kut, the capital of Wasit province, leaving at least 63 dead and 40 injured, according to Iraq’s official news agency INA, citing health sources.

Iraqi Interior Minister Abdulamir al Shammari stated that the building where the fire occurred had only been open for seven days. It is a five-story structure housing a restaurant and a hypermarket.

The official indicated that most of the victims “suffocated in the bathrooms due to the dense smoke,” while 14 bodies were found “completely charred.”

Fires in public facilities are common in Iraq, especially during the summer months when temperatures rise. These incidents are often attributed to a lack of maintenance and the poor state of infrastructure in a country still undergoing reconstruction after decades of war and sectarian violence.