Huge blaze rips through Iraq shopping mall killing at least 61

A huge blaze erupted at a newly-opened shopping centre in Iraq on Wednesday (16 July), leaving at least 61 people dead and several more missing. Footage shows flames engulfing the five-story building situated in al-Kut, with emergency service workers attending the scene as black smoke rises. The Ministry of Interior has reported that some 14 bodies were so badly charred that they remain unidentified. The cause of the fire at the mall, which was only opened last week, is not yet known, though the province’s governor said that findings from an initial investigation would be released in 48 hours.