Deadly fire in hypermarket in Iraqi city - in pictures

  • Scores of people were killed when fire broke out at a busy hypermarket in Kut, eastern Iraq. AP
    Scores of people were killed when fire broke out at a busy hypermarket in Kut, eastern Iraq. AP
  • Security forces gather beside the burnt shell of the building. AP
    Security forces gather beside the burnt shell of the building. AP
  • Rescue teams clear debris after flames tore through the newly opened hypermarket. AFP
    Rescue teams clear debris after flames tore through the newly opened hypermarket. AFP
  • People are gripped by shock. The governor of Wasit province, of which Kut is the capital, announced a three-day period of mourning. AP
    People are gripped by shock. The governor of Wasit province, of which Kut is the capital, announced a three-day period of mourning. AP
  • Women overcome by grief. Iraq's Interior Ministry said most of the victims died from smoke inhalation while trapped in the building's bathrooms. AP
    Women overcome by grief. Iraq's Interior Ministry said most of the victims died from smoke inhalation while trapped in the building's bathrooms. AP
  • The cause of the disaster has yet to be established but one witness said: 'An air conditioner exploded on the second floor and then the fire erupted.' AP
    The cause of the disaster has yet to be established but one witness said: 'An air conditioner exploded on the second floor and then the fire erupted.' AP
  • Firefighters managed to rescue dozens from the burning hypermarket, as well as the grim task of recovering charred bodies, some of which remain unidentified. AP
    Firefighters managed to rescue dozens from the burning hypermarket, as well as the grim task of recovering charred bodies, some of which remain unidentified. AP