A massive fire broke out in Iraq at a wedding hall, killing at least 80 to 100 people. The fire took place on Tuesday in the northern part of Iraq.
More than 150 people have been injured, There has still been no update about the bride and the groom.
The fire took place in the northern town of Qaraqosh. It is the district’s central base and is located around 15 kms (9 miles) to the south-east of Mosul.
There were hundreds of people present at the venue for the wedding.
Many survivors commented “It was less of a wedding, and more of hell.”
The fire had blazed quite quickly throughout the hall which led to many people unable to escape the room on time.
What caused the Fire?
The fire started when a firecracker was lit while the event was going on. Then immediately caught on to the curtains and ceilings blazing through the whole venue within seconds.
Many survivors commented “It was less of a wedding, and more of hell.”
The fire had blazed quite quickly throughout the hall which led to many people being unable to escape the room on time.
Due to the hall catching the fire so quickly, the electricity almost immediately went out.
Iraq’s Authority figures and the Government’s response :
According to Saad Maan, a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, the primary forensic investigation noted a “lack of safety and security measures” at the event. According to Abdullah Al-Jabouri, a security officer who oversees the Nineveh Operations Command, nine employees at the location were taken into custody by Iraqi security officials as part of their investigation.
The outdoors of the wedding venue was decked with a highly explosive type of “sandwich panel” cladding, which is prohibited in the nation, according to civil defense authorities reported by the Iraqi News Agency.
Because of the use of cheap, extremely flammable building materials, which collapse within minutes of a fire starting, parts of the hall crumbled as a result of the fire, according to civil defense.
A three-day period of national mourning has been declared by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani.
According to health authorities, most of the injured are in critical condition, according to the Erbil-based Rudaw.
Victims who survived the fire :
Imad Yohana, a 34 year old who managed to escape the venue on time, stated in an interview that he and a few others noticed the fire igniting and making it out of the hall. He said those who go out on time were saved while the others were stuck.
According to the local eyewitnesses, the building had caught fire about 10:45 p.m.
Youssef, a male, who was standing close with burns on his hands and face. claimed that when the fire started and the electricity went out, he was not able to see anything. However, He had managed to escape with his 3-year-old grandson. Unfortunately, his 50-year-old wife Bashra Mansour did not survive. She died after falling in the commotion.
Many Victims and survivors have obtained up to second-degree and third-degree burns.
Oxygen tanks are being delivered to hospitals, Relief team and Healthworkers are trying their level best to save each and every patient involved in the fire.
Many citizens have also donated blood to blood banks and hospitals in order to help the victims.
As of now, 114 have been declared dead and 150 have been injured and are currently under-going treatment.
