100 Die, 150 Injured As Fire Breaks Out At Wedding In Iraq
At least 100 people have been killed and more than 150 injured after a fire broke out during a wedding at an event hall in Al-Hamdaniyah town of Iraq’s northern Nineveh province.
Hundreds of people were celebrating in Al-Hamdaniyah when a fire tore through the venue late on Tuesday evening. The cause of the fire is not yet known but early reports say it broke out after fireworks were lit and inflammable panels in the venue might have fuelled the flames, causing parts of the ceiling to catch fire and fall.
“The fire led to the collapse of parts of the hall as a result of the use of highly flammable, low-cost building materials that collapsed within minutes when the fire broke out,” Iraq’s civil defense directorate said as quoted by state news agency INA. It was not clear if the bride and the groom were among the victims. Initial reports in Iraqi media said they had died in the blaze, with news agency, Nina, later reporting that they were alive but were being treated for burns.
