Thirteeen children dead ... smoke rises above the mall. Photo: AP
Thirteen children and six adults have died in a fire at one of Qatar's fanciest shopping malls, with three New Zealand youngsters reported to be among the dead.
Many of the victims died as rescuers struggled to reach a child care centre at the Villaggio mall in the capital Doha, Qatar's Minister of State for Interior Affairs, Sheik Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani, said.
The three New Zealanders were all aged two, an Al Jazeera reporter told New Zealand television on Tuesday.
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Nineteen dead ... family members of a victim react to the news.Photo: AP
Four of the other children who died were Spanish citizens, Spain's Foreign Ministry said.
A three-year-old French child was among the victims, the deputy minister for overseas French citizens, Yamina Benguigui, said in a statement.
"We tried our best, but when we got there, the children were trapped inside," Sheik Abdullah told reporters in Doha.
Smoke rises above the shopping mall. Photo: AFP
"We are very sorry for what happened. We tried as much as we could to save these people.
Four teachers and two emergency officials were among the dead, the Qatari ministry said on its official Twitter page.
Another 17 people were injured, including four children, according to authorities.
Most of those hurt were rescuers responding to the blaze.
Witnesses earlier reported thick black smoke pouring from the ritzy mall about midday (local time) on Monday.
Amateur photos and videos posted online showed firefighters rescuing victims by climbing on the roof.
The Interior Ministry said the fire was extinguished hours later.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Sheik Abdullah said all buildings in the country abide by safety requirements, but a special committee will nonetheless be set up to monitor building safety standards, according to the ministry's Twitter feed.
The Villaggio opened in 2006 and is one of Qatar's most popular shopping and amusement destinations.
Retailers include many well-known Western brands, such as Foot Locker, Pizza Hut, Starbucks and Marks & Spencer.
Malls throughout the oil-rich Arab Gulf are popular with families looking for entertainment destinations that provide relief from soaring summer temperatures.
The Villaggio includes an ice skating rink, theme park, cinema and indoor Venice-style gondola rides.
AP
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/qatar-shopping-mall-fire-19-dead-20120529-1zfu2.html#ixzz1wCWQ0g9m
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