TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Iraqi authorities have detained six local officials and suspended several civil servants following a deadly mall fire that killed 61 people in a newly opened mall in Kut earlier this week, it was announced on Saturday.
The fire broke out on Wednesday night at the newly opened Corniche Hypermarket Mall in the eastern part of the city, about 160 kilometers southeast of Baghdad. This disaster marks the latest fatal incident in a series of incidents in Iraq, where safety standards and building regulations are often overlooked.
After preliminary investigations as reported by Al Arabiya and Al Mayadeen, the Iraqi Interior Ministry cited "clear negligence" by several officials and employees. Among those detained are three local officials, including the head of civil defense in Kut. A total of 17 other employees have been suspended pending further notice.
Subsequently, the Integrity Commission—Iraq's top anti-corruption body—confirmed three additional arrests, including the head of the municipal violations department, over their alleged roles in the safety lapses that contributed to the fire.
Authorities said the investigation is ongoing, and the number of arrests could increase.
Poor Safety Standards
Safety standards in Iraq's construction sector are often overlooked, and with the country's severely weakened infrastructure due to decades of war, the sector frequently faces deadly fires and other accidents.
These incidents become more frequent during the scorching summer months, when temperatures soar to nearly 50 degrees Celsius.
Although the exact cause of the recent mall fire is still unclear, one survivor said that an air conditioner exploded on the second floor, triggering a blaze that quickly engulfed the five-story building.
Several people have reported losing loved ones, some even entire families, who had gone shopping and dining at the mall just days before the tragedy.
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