At least 60 people have died and 11 are missing after the big one erupted fire in a shopping center in the eastern city of Al-Kut Iraq, reported local health authorities and police sources, Reuters reports.
Footage appeared on social media overnight showing flames engulfing the five-story building as firefighters tried to contain the fire.
"We have compiled a list of 59 identified victims, while one body is so charred that identification is not yet possible," said an official from the local health service.
City official Ali al-Mayahi confirmed that there are still bodies under the rubble that have not been recovered.
The cause of the fire is currently unknown. However, the governor of the province, Wailit al-Kut, said that the preliminary results of the investigation will be known in the next 48 hours, the state agency INA reported. He added that lawsuits have already been filed against the owner of the building and the shopping center.
Al-Kut is located about 160 kilometers southeast of Baghdad. Fires with a large number of victims are not uncommon in Iraq, where poor fire protection, improper construction and poor supervision of public facilities are often present.
