A devastating fire at a newly opened mall in the Wasit province of eastern Iraq resulted in the tragic loss of over 60 lives, including women and children, as reported by Iraqi officials on Thursday. The country’s Interior Ministry confirmed that 61 people died, with most victims succumbing to smoke inhalation during the fire that broke out late Wednesday in the city of al-Kut.

Among the deceased were 14 charred bodies that have not yet been identified, according to the ministry.

According to reports, the ministry said that most of the dead bodies were found in the bathrooms. Civil defense teams managed to rescue more than 45 people who were trapped inside the building.

The mall, which had just opened a week earlier, was located in a five-story building that also included a restaurant and a supermarket.

The state-run Iraqi News Agency has reported that several individuals are still missing. Images and videos shared by local media showed the building completely engulfed in flames.

Provincial Governor Mohammed al-Mayyeh announced a three-day mourning period in a statement. He mentioned that the cause of the fire is currently being investigated, and legal actions have been taken against both the mall owner and the operator, although he did not specify the exact charges.

“We assure the families of the innocent victims that we will not show leniency towards those who were directly or indirectly responsible for this tragedy,” al-Mayyeh said.

The results from the preliminary investigation will be revealed within 48 hours, he said.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani has told the interior minister to go to the place where the recent fire happened to investigate and make sure similar events don’t happen again in the future.

Poor building practices have often led to terrible fires in Iraq. A sad fire in July 2021 at a hospital in Nasiriyah caused the tragic deaths of between 60 and 92 people, due to a very flammable, cheap type of “sandwich panel” cladding that is not allowed in Iraq.

In 2023, a fire at a wedding hall in the predominantly Christian area of Hamdaniya in Nineveh province claimed over 100 lives, caused by the ignition of ceiling panels above a fireworks device burst into flames.