Image Source: Agencies

July 17, 2025: Fifty people were killed in a massive fire in a hypermarket in al-Kut city in eastern Iraq, the state news agency (INA) reported on Thursday, citing the province's governor.
Videos circulating on social media showed flames engulfing a five-storey building in al-Kut overnight, while firefighters were trying to contain the fire.
Reuters could not independently verify the videos.
"We have compiled a list of 59 victims whose identities have been confirmed, but one body was so badly burned that it has been extremely difficult to identify," a city health official told news agency Reuters. More bodies are being recovered.
The cause of the fire is yet to be known, but initial probe results would be released within two days, Iran's state news agency INA reported.
"We have filed lawsuits against the owner of the building and the mall," INA quoted the governor as saying.