At least 100 people have been killed while more than 150 others seriously injured after a fire broke out at a wedding ceremony in northern Iraq.
Iraqi Ministry of Health officials say the Tuesday, September 26 evening fire started after fireworks were set off inside the packed venue in the mainly Christian town of Qaraqosh.
Preliminary investigations have revealed that the fireworks triggered a blaze inside the reception hall because of “highly flammable” construction materials.
Wailing sirens, black body bags
International news outlets reported seeing ambulances wailing sirens arriving at the main hospital in the town, while dozens of people had gathered to donate blood.
AFP reports that other people could be seen gathering in front of the open doors of a refrigerated truck loaded with black body bags.
Iraq’s official INA news agency reported that ministry of health spokesperson Saif al-Badr had “counted 100 dead and more than 150 injured” in the fire.
According to Badr, most of the injured were being treated for burns or oxygen deprivation.
There was, Badr says, also crowd crushes as the hundreds of guest dashed to escape the deadly fire.
Flammable materials
The Iraqi civil defence authorities have so far declared that safety standards were contravened during the marriage ceremony in Nineveh Province.
In a statement, the authority says there was presence of prefabricated panels inside the reception hall, materials that are highly flammable.
The statement adds that “the danger was compounded by the release of toxic gases linked to the combustion of the panels, which contained plastic.”
“The fire caused some parts of the ceiling to fall due to the use of highly flammable, low-cost construction materials,” the statement said.
The state media reports that Interior Ministry has since issued four arrest warrants for owners of the wedding hall, with President Abdul Latif Rashid calling for a thorough investigation.
