BAGHDAD, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a devastating fire at a hypermarket in Kut, the capital of Iraq's Wasit province, has risen to 61, the Interior Ministry confirmed on Thursday.

A massive fire broke out Wednesday night in a five-story commercial building housing a restaurant and a hypermarket, which had only been open for seven days, according to a statement by the Interior Ministry.

The statement said that most of the 61 victims were suffocated to death as a result of heavy smoke, and among them were 14 unidentified charred bodies.

The fire has been brought under control and civil defense teams managed to rescue over 45 people trapped inside the building, the statement added.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani has directed Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari to arrive at the scene of the tragic fire and launch an immediate investigation into the incident, said a statement released by al-Sudani's media office.

Al-Sudani has also ordered the dispatch of a medical team to support efforts in treating and caring for the injured, said the statement.

Wasit's provincial governor Mohammed Jameel al-Maihy has announced three days of mourning for the victims and vowed not to be lenient with anyone responsible for this incident, pledging to "announce the preliminary investigation results to the public within 48 hours." ■