India has expressed deep sorrow over the devastating fire in Al-Kut, Iraq, which resulted in at least 61 deaths and numerous injuries. The fire broke out in a newly opened commercial building housing a hypermarket and restaurant.

The death toll from the fire that broke out in a shopping center in downtown Kut, south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, has risen to more than 60 fatalities.Brigadier General

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.

The blaze -- the latest in a country where safety regulations are frequently neglected -- broke out late Wednesday, reportedly starting on the first floor before rapidly engulfing the five-storey Corniche Hypermarket Mall.

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