Fire Hits Wedding Venue During Festival... At Least 113 Dead and 150 Injured in Iraq

Fireworks Cause Theory... Flames Spread Due to Flammable Materials
Tragedy in Christian-Dense Area

A tragic fire broke out during a wedding reception at a banquet hall in northern Iraq, resulting in at least 113 deaths and over 150 injuries.

According to foreign media including AP and CNN on the 27th (local time), a large fire occurred around 10:45 PM the previous day at a banquet hall in the Hamdaniya area of Nineveh Province, located 335 km northwest of the capital Baghdad. Nineveh provincial authorities confirmed that the official death toll has reached 113.

Local state media also reported that the number of injured is at least around 150.

On the 27th (local time), local paramedics are inspecting the debris of a building collapsed due to fire at a wedding hall in the Hamdaniya area of Nineveh Province, Iraq.
[Photo by Reuters Yonhap News]

The cause of the fire has not yet been clearly determined. However, the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps (ICDC) pointed out that the banquet hall violated relevant regulations by decorating its exterior with flammable materials. An ICDC official told the media, "Because highly flammable, low-cost construction materials were used, the fire caused a partial collapse of the banquet hall within minutes."

Additionally, the Kurdish broadcaster Rudaw reported that fireworks used for a display at the banquet hall may have been the ignition source. A male guest who suffered burns said, "During the reception, fireworks were set off, and the ceiling caught fire," adding, "Within just a few seconds, the entire banquet hall was engulfed in flames," supporting this speculation.

Currently, on social media (SNS), videos are being shared showing fireworks placed in the center of the banquet hall exploding and the flames spreading to the ceiling chandelier. Rumors about the bride and groom’s deaths are also circulating. Videos of rescue workers searching for survivors among the building’s rubble have also been posted.

On the 29th (local time), mourners are paying their respects in front of the victims' coffins at a group funeral following a wedding fire accident in Iraq.

Saif Al-Adr, spokesperson for the Iraqi Ministry of Health, stated, "We are making every effort to assist those affected by this unfortunate accident," adding, "Among the approximately 150 injured, many have severe burns, with some suffering burns over 50-60% of their bodies, so the death toll may increase."

The area where the fire occurred is a place where Christian minorities live in predominantly Muslim Iraq. The wedding was also conducted in the Christian style. AP reported on the incident as "another disaster striking Iraq’s Christian community, whose numbers have dwindled over the past 20 years due to being targeted by Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS)," noting that "while there were 1.5 million Iraqi Christians in 2003, their current number is only about 150,000." Iraq’s population was 43.53 million as of 2021.