President Aliyev sends condolences to Iraq following deadly fire in al-Kut mall

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has extended his heartfelt condolences to Iraqi President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid in the wake of a devastating fire that claimed dozens of lives at a shopping mall in eastern Iraq.

According to Caliber.Az, the message was conveyed by the press service of the President of Azerbaijan.

“We were deeply shocked by the news of numerous casualties resulting from the fire at the shopping centre in the city of al-Kut,” President Aliyev wrote in his condolence letter.

“I share your grief over this tragedy, and on behalf of myself and the people of Azerbaijan, extend my deepest condolences to you, the bereaved families, their loved ones, and the entire people of Iraq. I also wish a swift recovery to those injured. May Allah rest the souls of the deceased in peace!”

The deadly blaze engulfed a five-story shopping mall in the city of al-Kut, killing at least 61 people, according to an official government statement. Most of the victims reportedly died from suffocation, while 14 charred bodies remain unidentified.

In response to the tragedy, provincial governor Mohammed al-Miyahi confirmed that legal proceedings have been launched against both the building owner and the mall operator.

This incident follows a series of deadly fires in Iraq in recent years. In 2023, over 100 people lost their lives in a wedding hall fire in the northern part of the country, where the facility had been outfitted with highly flammable Ecobond panels that violated safety standards.

Similarly, a July 2021 blaze at a COVID-19 hospital unit in Baghdad killed more than 60 people.

By Tamilla Hasanova