Wasit Governor Mohammed Jameel Al-Mayahy resigns after deadly Kut mall fire that killed 61

WASIT — Mohammed Jameel Al-Mayahy resigned Wednesday as governor of Wasit following public outcry over a deadly fire at a shopping mall in Kut that killed 61 people. In a statement, Al-Mayahy said he stepped down “in honor of the martyrs’ families and in loyalty to the people of the governorate.”

“For the families of the noble martyrs,” the statement read, “in honor of the martyrs’ blood, as they need a stance that may soothe part of their painful wounds, and in loyalty to them and to the people of this governorate whom I have served with my eyes and the sweat of my brow, sparing no effort during my service, I proudly announce my resignation to the Wasit Provincial Council, and it has been accepted by the esteemed council.”

Public anger has grown in the aftermath of the July 17 fire, with families of the victims staging nightly demonstrations outside the governorate council building for more than a week. On Monday, they launched an open-ended sit-in, erecting condolence tents and demanding Al-Mayahy’s dismissal and prosecution.

The Wasit Provincial Council convened an emergency session Wednesday, attended by Al-Mayahy, to discuss the incident and its fallout. In a statement, the council said it accepted his resignation “by absolute majority.”

“Out of respect for the blood of the martyrs and to maintain the governorate’s stability and keep our people away from political conflicts, the council accepted the resignation by absolute majority,” the statement said.

The council elected Hadi Majid Kazzar as the new governor.

Al-Mayahy’s resignation came just one day after Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani approved the findings of an investigative committee that recommended referring the governor and members of Wasit’s civil defense committee for further investigation.

In an interview aired Tuesday by Dijlah TV, Al-Mayahy had defended his record and accused political rivals of exploiting the tragedy. He also said the building had been converted into a commercial mall without municipal approval and warned that 90% of shops in Wasit would be forced to close if authorities enforced existing safety regulations.

He criticized the civil defense response to the fire, saying rescue teams focused only on evacuating people from the roof while others remained trapped. “At 2 a.m., I entered the fourth floor of the building and we found eight martyrs due to suffocation… The capabilities of Civil Defense were very limited,” he said.