50 killed in huge fire at hypermarket in Iraq

At least 50 people have been killed and many others injured in a massive fire at a hypermarket in Kut city in eastern Iraq, the INA state news agency has reported, citing the province’s governor.

Videos on social media showed flames engulfing a five-storey building in Kut overnight, where firefighters were trying to contain the fire, Al Jazeera reports.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known, but the governor said initial results from an investigation would be announced within 48 hours, INA reported. “We have filed lawsuits against the owner of the building and the mall,” INA quoted the governor as saying.