This morning, Pope Leo XIV expressed his condolences to the relatives of the deceased in a fire that swept a shopping center in the city of Kut, in Iraq.
According to Reutersduring the night of July 16 a mass fire began in a hypermarket, completely destroying the building where it was.
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Local health authorities and two police sources confirmed to Reuters that 69 people died and another 11 are missing.
A city government official, located in southern Iraq, said that several bodies that are under the rubble are not yet recovered. The cause of the fire is still uncertain, although the authorities speculate that it could have originated on the perfume and cosmetics floor.
The telegram was released this July 19 by the Secretary of State of the Holy See, and is signed by Pietro Parolin, Cardinal Secretary of State.
“Sorry for the news of the fire in KUT, which has caused numerous dead and wounded, his holiness Pope Leo XIV sends the security of his spiritual solidarity to all who suffer the effects of this tragedy, especially to the wounded already the families in duel,” says the message.
In addition, according to the text, the Holy Father will entrust the souls of the deceased “to the almighty mercy”, and also offers their prayers to the rescue bodies that still continue with their work.
“Above all, His Holiness invokes the divine blessings of strength, comfort and peace,” concludes the telegram.
Andrés Henríquez
I was born in Caracas in 1996. I am a writer for ACI Press and correspondent of EWTN since 2023. Since then, I cover events of the Catholic Church in Venezuela, Latin America and the world. I have more than 6 years of experience in bilingual media. In addition, in Venezuela I have worked from various fields for freedom and respect for fundamental rights in the country. I am a member of the Regnum Christi Federation since 2014.