Kut Mall Fire: Iraq’s Latest Tragedy Exposes Deadly Safety Failures

A deadly fire at a newly opened shopping mall in Kut, eastern Iraq, has reignited long-standing concerns over building safety and government oversight.

The blaze, which engulfed the five-story Al-Kornish Hypermarket, killed dozens and left more missing or severely injured. Civil defense crews managed to rescue over 45 people, but many were trapped, some fatally, inside restrooms due to intense smoke and lack of fire exits.

The incident comes just two years after a wedding hall fire in Nineveh province and a hospital blaze in Nasiriya, both of which resulted in heavy loss of life. Experts and local officials have repeatedly blamed these recurring tragedies on poor construction practices, illegal materials like flammable cladding, outdated electrical systems, and weak enforcement of safety regulations.

Although the Iraqi government has launched another investigation and vowed accountability, critics fear this will follow the same pattern of temporary outrage with no systemic change.