A massive fire at a newly opened shopping mall in Wasit’s provincial capital of Kut late Wednesday killed 63 people and sparked outrage from the Iraqi public over lax safety standards. Most deaths were caused by smoke inhalation, with no emergency exits in place for victims to use.
“The team formed by the Wasit Investigation Office was able to implement the judicial arrest against the former director of the Kut municipality due to violations committed in the construction of the Kut Hypermarket Mall,” the integrity commission said in a statement.
Authorities also arrested ten local officials in Kut’s civil defense and municipality, including the civil defense director and the head of the violations department in the municipality, “due to the negligence and violations attributed to them,” according to the statement.
The five-story building, spanning about 350 square meters, went up in flames on Wednesday night, with the fire starting on the building’s second floor.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani vowed on Thursday to “not show lenience with any negligent party” after ordering an investigation into the tragedy.
The government agreed to provide 10 million dinars (around $7,600) in compensation for the family of each victim. The health ministry was also instructed to cover medical treatment for the injured, both inside and outside the country.
Wasit Governor Mohammed Jamil al-Mayahi accused the hypermarket owner of bypassing regulations and opening the business illegally just two days before the fire. “The investor opened the project fraudulently, without obtaining any official permits,” he told reporters in a press conference on Thursday.
Fires are a recurring threat in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, where enforcement of fire and safety regulations is often inadequate. The risk increases significantly during the summer months, when extreme heat exacerbates the potential for electrical faults and other fire hazards.
Contributing factors include aging infrastructure, overcrowded public spaces, poor electrical systems, and a widespread lack of basic fire safety measures.
