ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday expressed solidarity with the people and government of Iraq after a fire erupted at a shopping center in Kut city, killing more than 60 people while others remained missing.
Iraqi officials say at least 61 people have been killed and several remain missing after a huge fire broke out at a hypermarket in eastern Iraq’s Kut city on Wednesday night.
Videos on social media showed flames engulfing a five-story building in Kut overnight, where firefighters were trying to contain the fire. The mall, which had opened only a week earlier, also contained a restaurant and supermarket.
“Deeply saddened by the tragic fire in Al-Kut, Iraq, that has caused tragic loss of lives of innocent people,” the Pakistani premier wrote on social media platform X.
“My heartfelt condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in this tragedy. May the injured recover swiftly. Pakistan stands in solidarity with the people of Iraq in this hour of grief.”
Iraq’s federal cabinet on Thursday announced three days of mourning over the loss of lives. The government has also launched an investigation into the incident, saying that results will be released within 48 hours.
Unregulated buildings have caused tragic fires in Iraq in the past. In July 2021, a blaze at a hospital in Nasiriyah killed over 60.
Subsequent investigations showed the building was fueled by a highly flammable, low-cost type of “sandwich panel” cladding illegal in Iraq.
