John AdoyiA wedding celebration in Iraq on Tuesday, turned into mourning as fire gutted the banquet hall, killing at least hundred persons, and injuring many more.
Iraqi Authorities at Qaraqosh, a town in the province of Nineveh, say fireworks used during the celebration may have been the cause of the fire. Firefighters who spoke to journalists said the hall that was used for the celebration was built using “highly flammable, low-cost building materials” that catch fire easily. Video footage on the internet showed the couple on the dance floor before the ceiling collapsed. However, media reports, suggest that the couple survived but with fire injuries.
Other guests at the wedding celebration said they saw damages that the fire caused.
“We saw the fire pulsating, coming out of the hall. Those who managed to get out and those who didn’t got stuck. Even those who made their way out were broken,” Imad Yohana, a 34-year-old who escaped the inferno, told Reuters.
Others say they lost children, parents, and siblings to the fire.
Iraq’s president wrote on X, formerly Twitter, directing officials to mobilize all efforts in offering aid to those impacted by the regrettable inferno. Similarly, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani emphasized the need for thorough building inspections and scrutiny of safety protocols, with a commitment to hold the responsible authorities accountable for any negligence.
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The governor of the province told reporters that the dead and injured could rise to 400 as the search and rescue operation continues.
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