The Ministry of Exterior Affairs (MEA) on Friday expressed deep sorrow over the devastating hearth in Iraq’s japanese metropolis of Al-Kut, which has claimed a minimum of 61 lives and left many others injured or lacking.
In a put up on social media platform X, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal conveyed India’s condolences to the folks and authorities of Iraq.
“We categorical our profound grief on the tragic lack of harmless lives and for many who sustained accidents within the devastating hearth incident within the metropolis of Al-Kut, Iraq on 16 July 2025. We provide our honest condolences to the Authorities and other people of Iraq and pray for the households of the victims and for the early restoration of these injured. On this tough hour, the folks of India stand in solidarity with the folks of Iraq,” the tweet learn.
We categorical our profound grief on the tragic lack of harmless lives and for many who sustained accidents within the devastating hearth incident within the metropolis of Al-Kut, Iraq on 16 July 2025.
We provide our honest condolences to the Authorities and other people of Iraq and pray for the households…
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) July 18, 2025
In response to Iraq’s Inside Ministry, the fireplace broke out late on Wednesday night time in a five-story industrial constructing in Kut metropolis, positioned in Wasit Province. The constructing, which had solely opened every week in the past, housed a hypermarket, a restaurant, and several other different retail retailers, Al Jazeera reported.
In response to a press release issued by the Inside Ministry on Thursday, civil defence groups recovered 14 charred our bodies and rescued a minimum of 45 folks.”We’ve got compiled a listing of 59 victims whose identities have been confirmed, however one physique was so badly burned that it has been extraordinarily tough to determine,” a neighborhood well being official instructed Al Jazeera, quoting Reuters.
Wasit province Governor Mohammed al-Mayahi confirmed that the fireplace started inside each the hypermarket and a close-by restaurant. He stated many households had been contained in the complicated, eating and purchasing, when the flames unfold shortly.
“A tragedy and a calamity have befallen us,” Al-Mayahi stated, including that firefighters managed to rescue a number of folks earlier than placing out the fireplace.Movies shared on social media confirmed flames engulfing the tall constructing as emergency groups labored to regulate the blaze and attain these trapped inside.
Al Jazeera, citing the Iraqi Information Company (INA), reported that lawsuits have been filed towards the proprietor of the constructing and the mall. The governor has ordered a full investigation and promised that the findings will probably be made public inside 48 hours.
Following the incident, native authorities have declared three days of mourning throughout Wasit province.
The reason for the fireplace has not but been formally confirmed.