A fire at a five-story shopping mall in eastern Iraq has killed at least 61 people, including children, according to a statement from Iraq's Ministry of Interior on Thursday morning.

Photos on social media show the Corniche Hypermarket Mall, in the city of Kut in Wasit province, engulfed in flames on Wednesday. 

Most people died from suffocation, the government statement said. Among the dead, 14 charred bodies remain unidentified, it said.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani visited the site Thursday morning, after having ordered an immediate investigation to "uncover any shortcomings." 

Residents in the neighborhood joined firefighters in battling the blaze at the mall that had only opened a week earlier.

Civil defense teams rescue 45 people trapped in building

The Ministry of Interior said that civil defense teams rescued at least 45 people who were trapped in the building due to the fire.

While the cause of the blaze was not yet known, the initial police report suggested the fire began on the floor where perfumes and cosmetics were sold, the Reuters news agency reported.

As of Thursday morning, rescue teams and other emergency personnel were still at the scene.

Legal cases filed against shopping mall owner

Provincial Governor Mohammed al-Miyahi said that legal cases were filed against the building owner and the shopping center owner, but did not specify the charges.

Al-Miyahi also declared three days of mourning, with people in the community sharing stories about losing their loved ones who had simply gone out to the mall to shop and dine.

Allegations poor safety standards contributed to scale of tragedy

While an official investigation is underway, officials and residents allege that a lack of fire safety measures in the building contributed to the scale of the tragedy.

Poor building standards and a lack of enforcement of safety regulations hav presented a challenge to authorities.

In 2023, more than 100 people died after a fire broke out at a wedding hall in northern Iraq. The hall was covered with highly flammable Ecobond panels that violated safety laws.

In July 2021, a fire at a COVID-19 unit at a hospital in Baghdad killed more than 60 people.

Edited by: Kieran Burke