Rain of fireworks and rush: video shows how fire started that killed more than 100 people at a wedding in Iraq

2023-10-02 15:58:42

Minister of Interior, Abdul Amir al Shammari, announced that the security services managed to arrest 14 defendants; a mass was held in memory of the victims

Reproduction/Twitter/@AlertaMundo_ Fire at a wedding party in Iraq left more than 100 people dead

A video shared on social media shows the moment when the fire that left more than a hundred people dead and 150 injured during a wedding in Iraq begins – there were 114 dead and 200 injured. In the content you can see that it all started during the bride and groom’s dance. Fireworks had been lit inside the hall. The sparks generated by them ended up reaching the ceiling, which immediately caught fire, causing people to rush out of the place. Smoke instantly begins to fill the place. This information had already been reported by witnesses in statements, who said that the fire in the Qaraqosh party room spread at an astonishing speed. According to the interior ministry, almost 900 guests were there. In addition to an insufficient number of emergency exits, Civil Defense denounced the use of prefabricated panels on site that were “highly flammable and contrary to safety standards”, which quickly caught fire when in contact with the party’s fireworks.

On Thursday the 28th, dozens of faithful attended a mass in Qaraqosh in memory of the victims of the fire. Photos of the victims – men, women and children of all ages – were lined up on Thursday morning at Al Tahira Syriac Catholic Church. Upon leaving mass, Najiba Yuhana, 55, spoke about her missing relatives. “It is a deep pain. A tragedy that will never be forgotten.” “There is indescribable anger and sadness,” she added. In Iraq, safety standards are poorly respected, both in the construction and transport sectors. The country, devastated by decades of conflict, mismanagement and corruption, is a frequent scene of fires or fatal domestic accidents.

???? VIDEO: New images have emerged of the start of the fire that ripped through a crowded wedding party in northern Iraq this week. The flames were caused by fireworks lit inside the hall. More than 100 people died. pic.twitter.com/wLsoXeQdih

— Alerta Mundo (@AlertaMundo_) October 1, 2023

Iraq’s Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani, called for maximum sentences for those responsible for the site. In a statement from his office, Al Sudani “ordered that the maximum penalties be imposed on those who were negligent in the fire in Al Hamdaniya” and reiterated his directive to continue inspecting public buildings, event halls, restaurants and hotels with the aim of “ examine public safety conditions, precautions and measures to prevent fires and possible accidents”. Interior Minister Abdul Amir al Shammari announced the security services “managed to detain 14 defendants, including 10 workers, the owner of the hall and three involved in launching the fireworks.”

*With information from international agencies