A huge fire has torn through a commercial building in Iraq’s eastern city of Kut, killing dozens of people, local authorities said Thursday.

The complex had only just opened and legal cases have been opened against its owners. The cause is so far unclear.

Al Jazeera, citing Iraqi News Agency (INA), reported that lawsuits have been filed against the owner of the building and the mall. The governor has ordered a full investigation and promised that the findings will be made public within 48 hours. Following the incident, local authorities have declared three days of mourning across Wasit province.

A fire engulfed a newly opened shopping center in eastern Iraq, killing more than 60 people, including children, Iraqi officials said Thursday.

A devastating fire at Corniche Hypermarket in al-Kut city, Iraq, resulted in at least 69 deaths and 11 people missing. The blaze, reportedly starting in the perfumes section, trapped many inside the building.

Following the Israeli strikes on Syria' capital, Damascus, our verification specialists are assessing the damage A fire that tore through a shopping centre in the Iraqi city of Kut has left dozens dead,

Video circulating online showed flames engulfing a five-storey building in the city of Al-Kut, with ambulances delivering casualties to hospitals until the early hours of Thursday.