Shillong, September 27: In a devastating incident, a massive fire tore through a wedding hall in Iraq’s Nineveh province, resulting in the loss of at least 114 lives and leaving more than 200 individuals injured, according to an announcement by a senior official on Wednesday.
As per IANS, Nineveh Governor Najm al-Jubouri confirmed these updated figures to the media, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The fire erupted on Tuesday night at the al-Haytham Wedding Hall in al-Hamdaniya town, situated 35 km southeast of the provincial capital, Mosul, as stated by the official Iraqi News Agency (INA). The Iraqi Civil Defence reported that initial information suggested the use of fireworks during the celebration, which may have triggered the fire.
Tragically, the building was constructed with highly flammable materials, exacerbating the blaze and leading to the partial collapse of the structure. An investigation into the incident has been initiated.
The fate of the bride and groom remained uncertain initially, with some reports indicating they had perished in the fire. However, later reports from news agency Nina suggested that they were alive but receiving treatment for burns.
Sayf al-Badr, the Health Ministry spokesman, assured that the situation was under control, and they were closely monitoring the incident. The INA reported that the Health Minister had instructed authorities in neighboring provinces of Kirkuk and Salahudin to dispatch ambulances to assist in the evacuation of victims.
In response to the tragedy, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani reached out to the Nineveh Governor and ordered the interior and health ministers to provide support to those affected.
Expressing his condolences, Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi commented on the tragic developments in a tweet, acknowledging the painful accident that had claimed numerous lives and caused injuries in the town of al-Hamdaniya.