Huge fire at wedding venue kills more than 100 as flames rip through building

26 September 2023 , 23:45

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Huge flames and pillars of smoke are seen filling the sky

At least 114 people have been confirmed dead and more than 200 injured after a huge fire ripped through a wedding venue in Iraq.

Authorities say the death toll could rise even higher following the inferno in the country's Nineveh province. Some reports say the bride, the groom and his family are among the victims, but this has not yet been confirmed.

The local governor has said there were 114 killed, but the Iraqi Red Crescent fears as many as 450 people could have perished.

CCTV images on social media show well-dressed wedding guests running for their lives as balls of fire rain into the reception room. Other pictures show smoke billowing from the building in the Al-Hamdaniya district. The fire broke out at around 10.45pm local time (8.45pm BST) on Tuesday evening.

There have been reports of around 1,000 people being in attendance at the wedding

“We saw the fire pulsating, coming out of the hall. Those who managed got out and those who didn’t got stuck. Even those who made their way out were broken,” said 34-year-old Imad Yohana, who escaped the flames at the Christian wedding.

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Terrifying footage from the venue showed pieces of flaming material falling onto the dancefloor as those celebrating the wedding fled. While other videos showed firefighters making their way through the charred wreckage of the building to search for any survivors.

There was no immediate official word on the cause of the blaze but initial reports by the Kurdish television news channel Rudaw suggested fireworks at the venue may have sparked the fire. Footage aired by Rudaw, apparently shot by a guest, showed fireworks shooting up from the floor and setting a chandelier overhead ablaze.

Ahmed Dubardani, a health official in the province, told Rudaw that many of those injured suffered serious burns. "The majority of them were completely burned and some others had 50 to 60% of their bodies burned," he said.

"This is not good at all. The majority of them were not in good condition." Civil defence officials quoted by the Iraqi News Agency described the wedding hall's exterior as being decorated with highly flammable cladding that was illegal in the country. The officials said: "The fire led to the collapse of parts of the hall as a result of the use of highly flammable, low-cost building materials that collapse within minutes when the fire breaks out."

Firefighters and investigators remain at the scene into the early hours of Wednesday morning to attempt to uncover the cause of the blaze. Only charred metal and debris could be seen as people walked through the wedding venue, with the only light coming from television cameras and the lights from onlookers' mobile phones.

Firefighters picked their way through the charred and twisted remains of the building

Firefighters can be seen making their way through the crumpled wreckage of the building

Survivors arrived at local hospitals, receiving oxygen and bandages as their families filled the hallways and outside areas as workers attempted to get their hands on more oxygen cylinders. There have been stark warnings that the death toll could, and is likely to, increase.

Dr Hamed Hamedani, Nineveh's health director, has arrived in Rawadawi, where 100 people are being treated with more than 500 people reportedly in need of assistance, according to local news.

Assistant Governor of Nineveh, Hassan Al-Alaf, told Rudaw Media Network that there were around 1,000 people present at the wedding hall when the fire broke out. The Iraqi Ministry of Health announced they would be sending medical reinforcements from Baghdad to the area to help.

In a statement, Iraqi Ministry of Health spokesman Saif Al-Badr said the Minister of Health, Saleh Mahdi Al-Hasnawi, had directed the ministry's departments in Nineveh and its neighbouring areas to be mobilised to rescue and treat those injured in the fire.

People gathered outside on the street as the fire ripped through the building

Scores of survivors gather outside as authorities battle the deadly blaze

Saif al-Badr said: "All efforts are being made to provide relief to those affected by the unfortunate accident." Najim al-Jubouri, provincial governor of Nineveh, said some of the injured had been transported to local hospitals. Thousands of people have reportedly been visiting hospitals to donate blood for those injured in the fire.

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Iraq's civil defence said initial reports indicated that fireworks used during the ceremony could have been the cause of the blaze which ripped through the event hall as celebrations were in full swing. However, the official cause has not yet been determined.

Civil defence officials have been quoted by the Iraqi News Agency describing the exterior of the building as having been decorated with highly flammable cladding that is illegal in the country. Civil defence said: "The fire led to the collapse of parts of the hall as a result of the use of highly flammable, low-cost building materials that collapse within minutes when the fire breaks out."

Nineveh's Hamdaniya area is a predominantly Christian area just outside the northern city of Mosul, around 205 miles northwest of the capital, Baghdad. Iraqi forces are reportedly on standby with a travel corridor having been opened between Baghdad and Mosul in order to transport the injured.

Fiona Leishman