An overnight fire at a shopping mall in Iraq has killed more than 60 people, according to the country's interior ministry. The massive fire broke out early Thursday in the new, five-story shopping center in Kut, the capital of the Wasit province in eastern Iraq.

A fire that tore through a shopping centre in the Iraqi city of Kut has left at least 60 dead, officials said.

"We assure the families of the innocent victims that we will not be lenient with those who were directly or indirectly responsible for this incident," al-Mayyeh said.

Oil prices rose $1 on Thursday after drones struck Iraqi Kurdistan oil fields for a fourth day, pointing to continued risk in the volatile region.