India has expressed deep sorrow over the devastating fire at a shopping centre in Al-Kut, Iraq, which claimed at least 61 lives.
Conveying condolences to the government and people of Iraq, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) affirmed India’s solidarity with them during this tragic time and offered prayers for the victims’ families as well as wishing a swift recovery to those injured.
“We express our profound grief at the tragic loss of innocent lives and for those who sustained injuries in the devastating fire incident in the city of Al-Kut, Iraq, on 16 July 2025,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X.
“We offer our sincere condolences to the government and people of Iraq and pray for the families of the victims and for the early recovery of those injured. In this difficult hour, the people of India stand in solidarity with the people of Iraq,” the MEA stated in an official message posted on X.
A massive fire tore through the five-storey Al-Kornish Hypermarket in Iraq’s eastern city of Kut on Wednesday, killing dozens and devastating the local community.
According to Iraq’s Ministry of Interior, at least 61 people, including men, women, and children, died in the blaze, and dozens were rescued from the burning building. “This heartbreaking fire claimed the lives of 61 innocent citizens, most of whom died from suffocation in the bathrooms due to heavy smoke,” the ministry said, calling it “a deeply tragic incident that has shaken Iraq’s collective conscience.” The bodies of 14 victims remain unidentified.
Despite the severity of the fire, civil Defence teams “heroically managed to rescue more than 45 people trapped inside the building, with remarkable dedication and courage,” the ministry added.
