In a devastating incident, over 100 individuals lost their lives, with upwards of 150 injured, when an inferno enveloped a wedding festivity in the Hamdaniyah district of Iraq’s Nineveh province, officials disclosed. According to Nineveh Deputy Governor Hassan al-Allaq, the confirmed death count stands at 113 as of now, but with ongoing rescue operations, the number might climb.
Early indications from Iraq’s civil defense pinpoint the ignition of fireworks, a customary part of the region’s wedding festivities, as the probable cause. Compounding the tragedy, the event hall’s construction involved materials that were not only highly combustible but also violated established safety guidelines. This rapid spreading blaze caused the ceiling to collapse, worsening the calamity. Emergency response teams from both federal Iraqi authorities and the Kurdish region promptly reached the scene. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has mandated an in-depth probe into the incident and called for immediate relief measures.
