Over 50 dead in Iraq shopping mall fire

Around 50 people were killed or injured after a fire tore through a shopping mall in the eastern Iraqi city of Kut late Wednesday, according to Iraqi state media.

Wasit province governor Mohammed al-Miyahi told the official Iraqi News Agency (INA) that the number of victims had reached about 50, describing them as both fatalities and injured persons.

The blaze erupted at the Hyper Mall, which had opened only five days earlier. While the cause remains unknown, an AFP correspondent at the scene reported that the fire appeared to have started on the first floor of the building.

Emergency response teams were still transporting victims as late as 4:00 a.m. local time (GMT +3) on Thursday. Hospitals in Kut, a city located around 160 kilometers (100 miles) southeast of Baghdad, were reported to be filled with casualties._Agencies.