Iraqi authorities blame illegal construction for Kut fire tragedy

Shafaq News – Wasit (Updated at 10:43 p.m.)

Iraqi authorities confirmed Thursday that the Kut commercial center in Wasit province, where dozens died in a massive fire, had been erected without permits and in direct violation of safety regulations.

Speaking at a press conference, Brig. Gen. Miqdad al-Miri, Head of the Ministry of Interior’s Relations and Media Department, told reporters that Civil Defense had explicitly denied approval for the project due to serious safety breaches. “The owner,” he clarified, “had been fined and formally warned before construction began, yet went ahead and launched the center just two days into a 60-day compliance deadline.”

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, according to al-Miri, has ordered a seven-day investigation, instructing authorities to identify those responsible without leniency and to coordinate with the judiciary for urgent legal action.

Wasit Governor Mohammed Jameel Al-Miyahi further exposed the irregularities, describing the building as a residential plot that was illegally transformed into a commercial hub. Initially operating as a restaurant, it was later converted overnight into a hypermarket filled with goods, despite having no building permit or investment license.

“The owner either deliberately circumvented the law or benefited from official inaction,” al-Miyahi remarked, confirming that the results of the investigation will be announced within a week.

Among the victims were the owner’s son and several family members. Many, according to the governor, became trapped in locked restrooms and storage rooms, with no way to escape.

Later, al-Sudani ordered the closure of any site lacking proper safety measures, emphasizing zero tolerance for negligence.

Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari also directed the shutdown of all facilities violating security and fire protection standards nationwide, regardless of ownership or affiliation.

وزير الداخلية يوجه بإغلاق جميع المواقع المخالفة لشروط السلامة في بغداد والمحافظات وعدم استثناء أي جهة مهما كانت عائديتها.https://t.co/qEpnETzmto pic.twitter.com/Orw3rd1PL9

— وزارة الداخلية العراقية (@socialmoigoviq) July 17, 2025

The Wasit Provincial Council, in turn, took disciplinary action, suspending both the director of Kut Municipality and the head of occupational safety pending the outcome of the investigation. Specialized committees have also been formed in every district and subdistrict to carry out thorough inspections of all public buildings and government facilities to ensure compliance with fire prevention standards.

The fire, which tore through the building on Thursday, claimed the lives of nearly 70 people, including women and children, and triggered a wave of emergency measures across multiple provinces. Parliament has instructed Wasit lawmakers to submit a full account of the incident, while the Ministry of Trade has distanced itself from the tragedy, stressing that the hypermarket “is not affiliated with the Ministry in any form.”