More than 100 people have been reported dead and 150 others are injured after a fire broke out during a wedding reception in Iraq.
The wedding was underway in Iraq’s Nineveh province early on Wednesday, September 27, Iraqi state media said.
Fireworks are thought to have sparked the blaze at an events hall in the province’s Hamdaniya district.
The Iraqi News Agency cited civil defence officials as saying highly-flammable illegal cladding lined the building’s exterior walls.
Both Iraqi authorities and those from the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region sent ambulances to the scene.
Nineveh governor Najim al-Jubouri explained some of the injured were rushed to nearby hospitals. He added that there were no final casualty figures, suggesting the death toll could still rise.
Horrifying images show guests, who managed to escape the blaze, standing on the street while the fire rages.
Another photo shows a woman in a flowing bridal dress just metres from the flames.
Ahmed Dubardani, deputy head of the Nineveh health directorate, later confirmed that both the bride and groom lost their lives. They were reportedly slow-dancing when the fire broke out.
Dubardani told reporters that at least 50 of the injured are in a critical condition.
He added: “The majority of the wounded were completely burned. And some others had 50 to 60 percent of their bodies burned. This is not good at all.”
Survivor Rania Waad, 17, told AFP: “We couldn’t see anything… we were suffocating, we didn’t know how to get out.”
The death toll figure of 100 came from Health Ministry spokesman Saif al-Badr. He added: “All efforts are being made to provide relief to those affected by the unfortunate accident.”
People have reportedly gathered at the town’s main hospital to donate blood.
Watch videos from the scene below.
New video shows moment fire breaks out at wedding in Iraq, killing at least 114 people. Death toll expected to rise pic.twitter.com/IK0yEZDkEO
— BNO News (@BNONews) September 27, 2023
A large fire broke out at a wedding in #Iraq
At least 100 people died, more than 150 were injured. According to Al Jazeera with reference to the Iraqi Civil Defense, the cause of the fire was probably fireworks. pic.twitter.com/PqMeDv7912
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) September 27, 2023
Fire at a wedding in northern Iraq: more than 120 people killed.
Another 200 people were injured, including the bride and groom, the media write. According to the Iraqi Red Crescent Society, the number of dead and injured exceeds 450.
According to preliminary information, the… pic.twitter.com/mCHicMIb5u
— War&Peace (@realpeacenotwar) September 27, 2023
🚨 BREAKING: More than 500 injured, 100 killed in wedding hall fire in Iraq. pic.twitter.com/GnHCXjtehG
— {Matt} $XRPatriot (@matttttt187) September 27, 2023
At least 113 killed, over 150 injured as fire engulfs wedding party in Iraq’s Nineveh province.
Follow Press TV on Telegram: https://t.co/0EMmcJs6DL pic.twitter.com/eLa2t95qEs
— PressTV Extra (@PresstvExtra) September 27, 2023
