According to two police sources and the city’s health authorities, a huge fire in a hypermarket in al-Kut city, southern Iraq, has killed at least 69 people and left 11 more missing, Reuters reported on Thursday.
Rescue crews and security personnel were still present at the scene of the nighttime fire, as shown in Reuters’ film of the “Corniche Hypermarket” building’s charred facade.
Reuters-confirmed footage showed rescue crews helping individuals climb from the roof while firefighters doused the burning building with water overnight.
“We still have more bodies that have not been recovered under fire debris,” stated Ali al-Mayahi, a city official.
