Flames engulf the Corniche Hypermarket building in central Kut late on July 16
Wasit
Iraq suspends 17 officials, detains 3 officers over deadly Kut fire
BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Interior Ministry announced Saturday that 17 government employees have been suspended and three senior officers detained in connection with a fire in Kut that killed at least 61 people, as investigators point to widespread official negligence.
The disciplinary actions follow preliminary findings from an investigative committee formed by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and led by the Interior Ministry. In a statement, the ministry said the committee found “clear negligence by a number of employees and officials in various institutions,” citing field inspections, witness interviews, and evidence collection.
The suspended personnel include officials from Kut’s municipal services, health, infrastructure, and tourism sectors. Among them are the current and former mayors of Kut, the director of the Wasit Tourism Division, and health authorities from the city’s first health sector. Also suspended were officials from the municipality’s violations units, infrastructure departments, and the National Center for Occupational Health and Safety.
Additional suspensions affected the current director of roads and bridges in Wasit, a former deputy mayor, and several municipal staff from the so-called Excellence Sector.
Three senior officers were also detained under Article 331 of the Iraqi Penal Code, which addresses dereliction of duty: the head of the Wasit Tourism Security Department, the director of Wasit Civil Defense, and the commander of Kut’s first civil defense sector.
“The investigative committee is continuing its work until the investigation is completed,” said Maj. Gen. Miqdad Miri, the Interior Ministry’s media and relations director. “The final results will be announced transparently to the public once concluded, in adherence to the principle of justice and a commitment to hold every negligent party accountable.”
The fire erupted late Wednesday at the Corniche Hypermarket, a five-story commercial building that had opened just a week earlier in central Kut. Most of the victims died of smoke inhalation, with many found trapped in bathrooms.
Prime Minister Al-Sudani described the fire as the result of “repeated negligence,” drawing parallels to past national tragedies such as the 2023 Hamdaniya wedding fire and earlier hospital blazes. In response, the cabinet has passed a draft law to provide financial support to families affected by such disasters and approved compensation of 10 million dinars (about $7,140) per victim.
Full findings from the investigation are expected to be submitted to the Council of Ministers in the coming days.
