Latest news with #Kut
Arab News
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Iraqi governor quits after mall fire
BAGHDAD: The governor of an Iraqi province where a fire in a shopping mall killed more than 60 people resigned Wednesday. The fire last Wednesday tore through a newly opened shopping center in the town of Kut in Wasit province. While an investigation is ongoing, officials and residents have said that lack of safety measures in the building exacerbated the tragedy. Provincial Gov. Mohammed Al-Miyahi said he had resigned 'in honor of the blood of the martyrs, as they are in need of a gesture that may soothe part of their deep wounds, and in loyalty to them and to the people of this province.' The provincial council elected a new governor, Hadi Majid Kazzar. The fire had sparked widespread public anger, with families of the victims demanding the governor's dismissal and that others responsible for negligence be held accountable. They asserted that the blaze was the result of a long history of administrative corruption and weak oversight. Iraqi parliament speaker Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani had sent an official request to Prime Minister Mohammad Shia Al-Sudani calling for the governor's dismissal, and the Cabinet decided in a session on Tuesday to refer Al-Miyahi to the investigation. Al-Miyahi previously said that the building owner did not implement fire safety measures and had not applied for required permits, and that legal complaints had been filed against the owner and shopping center owner. Poor building standards have often contributed to tragic fires in Iraq. In July 2021, a blaze at a hospital in the city of Nasiriyah that killed between 60 to 92 people was determined to have been fueled by highly flammable, low-cost type of 'sandwich panel' cladding that is illegal in Iraq. In 2023, more than 100 people died in a fire at a wedding hall in the predominantly Christian area of Hamdaniya in Nineveh province after the ceiling panels above a pyrotechnic machine burst into flames.
The Independent
20 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
An Iraqi governor resigns after a deadly mall fire
The governor of an Iraqi province where a fire in a shopping mall killed more than 60 people resigned Wednesday. The fire last Wednesday tore through a newly opened shopping center in the town of Kut in Wasit province. While an investigation is ongoing, officials and residents have said that lack of safety measures in the building exacerbated the tragedy. Provincial Gov. Mohammed al-Miyahi said he had resigned 'in honor of the blood of the martyrs, as they are in need of a gesture that may soothe part of their deep wounds, and in loyalty to them and to the people of this province.' The provincial council elected a new governor, Hadi Majid Kazzar. The fire had sparked widespread public anger, with families of the victims demanding the governor's dismissal and that others responsible for negligence be held accountable. They asserted that the blaze was the result of a long history of administrative corruption and weak oversight. Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani had sent an official request to Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani calling for the governor's dismissal, and the Cabinet decided in a session Tuesday to refer al-Miyahi to the investigation. Al-Miyahi previously said that the building owner did not implement fire safety measures and had not applied for required permits, and that legal complaints had been filed against the owner and shopping center owner. Poor building standards have often contributed to tragic fires in Iraq. In July 2021, a blaze at a hospital in the city of Nasiriyah that killed between 60 to 92 people was determined to have been fueled by highly flammable, low-cost type of 'sandwich panel' cladding that is illegal in Iraq. In 2023, more than 100 people died in a fire at a wedding hall in the predominantly Christian area of Hamdaniya in Nineveh province after the ceiling panels above a pyrotechnic machine burst into flames.
Associated Press
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
An Iraqi governor resigns after a deadly mall fire
BAGHDAD (AP) — The governor of an Iraqi province where a fire in a shopping mall killed more than 60 people resigned Wednesday. The fire last Wednesday tore through a newly opened shopping center in the town of Kut in Wasit province. While an investigation is ongoing, officials and residents have said that lack of safety measures in the building exacerbated the tragedy. Provincial Gov. Mohammed al-Miyahi said he had resigned 'in honor of the blood of the martyrs, as they are in need of a gesture that may soothe part of their deep wounds, and in loyalty to them and to the people of this province.' The provincial council elected a new governor, Hadi Majid Kazzar. The fire had sparked widespread public anger, with families of the victims demanding the governor's dismissal and that others responsible for negligence be held accountable. They asserted that the blaze was the result of a long history of administrative corruption and weak oversight. Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani had sent an official request to Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani calling for the governor's dismissal, and the Cabinet decided in a session Tuesday to refer al-Miyahi to the investigation. Al-Miyahi previously said that the building owner did not implement fire safety measures and had not applied for required permits, and that legal complaints had been filed against the owner and shopping center owner. Poor building standards have often contributed to tragic fires in Iraq. In July 2021, a blaze at a hospital in the city of Nasiriyah that killed between 60 to 92 people was determined to have been fueled by highly flammable, low-cost type of 'sandwich panel' cladding that is illegal in Iraq. In 2023, more than 100 people died in a fire at a wedding hall in the predominantly Christian area of Hamdaniya in Nineveh province after the ceiling panels above a pyrotechnic machine burst into flames.
Asharq Al-Awsat
5 days ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Six Local Officials Detained Over Iraq Deadly Mall Fire
Iraq has detained six local officials and suspended other public employees following a fire that killed 61 people at a shopping mall earlier this week, authorities said Saturday. The blaze broke out late Wednesday in a newly opened shopping mall in the eastern city of Kut. After an initial investigation, the interior ministry said "there was clear negligence among several officials and employees" in Kut, located around 160 kilometers southeast of Baghdad. It added that three local officials, including the head of civil defense in Kut, had been detained, and 17 employees suspended from work until further notice. The Commission of Integrity, an anti-graft body, said later that security forces had detained three more officials "over the violations that led to the fire" at the Corniche Hypermarket Mall, including the head of the violations department at Kut's municipality. Officials say their investigation is ongoing, and the number of detainees may change. The cause of the mall fire was not immediately known, but one survivor told AFP an air conditioner had exploded on the second floor before the five-story building was rapidly engulfed in flames. Several people told AFP they lost family members -- and in some cases whole families -- who had gone to shop and dine at the mall days after it opened.
Khaleej Times
5 days ago
- Khaleej Times
Iraq mall fire: 6 local officials detained, 17 employees suspended over deadly blaze
Iraq has detained six local officials and suspended other public employees following a fire that killed 61 people at a shopping mall earlier this week, authorities said Saturday. The blaze, which broke out late Wednesday in a newly opened shopping mall in the eastern city of Kut, is the latest fatal disaster in a country where safety regulations are often ignored. After an initial investigation, the interior ministry said "there was clear negligence among several officials and employees" in Kut, located around 160 kilometres (100 miles) southeast of Baghdad. It added that three local officials, including the head of civil defence in Kut, had been detained, and 17 employees suspended from work until further notice. The Commission of Integrity, an anti-graft body, said later that security forces had detained three more officials "over the violations that led to the fire" at the Corniche Hypermarket Mall, including the head of the violations department at Kut's municipality. Officials say their investigation is ongoing, and the number of detainees may change. Safety standards in Iraq's construction sector are often ignored, and the country — its infrastructure weakened by decades of conflict — frequently experiences fatal fires and accidents. Fires increase during the blistering summer as temperatures approach 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). The cause of the mall fire was not immediately known, but one survivor told AFP an air conditioner had exploded on the second floor before the five-storey building was rapidly engulfed in flames. Several people told AFP they lost family members — and in some cases whole families — who had gone to shop and dine at the mall days after it opened.
