On Wednesday, September 27, a devastating fire engulfed a wedding venue just outside the predominantly Christian town of Hamdaniya, in northern Iraq’s city of Mosul.
Local officials said the incident claimed at least 113 lives and left an estimated 150 others injured. They warned the numbers might rise.
The fire’s cause, as reported by emergency services and witnesses at the scene, was fireworks ignited within the venue that sent sparks to the ceiling. Adding to the tragedy, the venue’s building materials, as well as decorative curtains and materials on the walls and ceiling, were highly flammable. This, coupled with the rapid spread of the fire, caught everyone off guard.
Video footage shared on social media platforms captured the rapid escalation of the fire in the ballroom, causing panic among the guests. This included the bride and groom, who fled in terror. Approximately 700 attendees found themselves trapped within the venue when they discovered the flames had blocked the primary entrance.
Subsequent power outages exacerbated the situation. One witness described the chaos, recounting smoke-filled air, suffocation, people falling, and stampedes as individuals desperately tried to escape. Furthermore, a section of the ceiling collapsed, leading to additional casualties.
In response to the tragedy, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani called for a thorough investigation into the incident. He also instructed the country’s interior and health ministries to provide urgent assistance.
A source from the provincial government in Nineveh stated that the investigation would not only focus on the fire’s origin but also scrutinize the legality of the venue’s operation and safety conditions. The owner of the venue, who is under scrutiny for potentially operating an unsafe facility, has reportedly gone into hiding.
This incident isn’t the first time Iraq has grappled with such disasters, which have been attributed to subpar building materials and lax safety standards. Previous incidents include two significant fires in hospital wards for COVID-19 patients in Baghdad and Nasiriyah, resulting in several casualties.
