114 dead, over 200 injured in Iraq fire
Baghdad, Sep 27: At least 114 people were killed and more than 200 injured after a massive fire ripped through a wedding hall in Iraq’s Nineveh province, a top official announced on Wednesday. The updated figures were confirmed to the media by Nineveh Governor Najm al-Jubouri, reports Xinhua news agency. The fire broke out on Tuesday night in the al-Haytham Wedding Hall in al-Hamdaniya town, 35 km southeast of the provincial capital Mosul, the official Iraqi News Agency (INA) quoted the Iraqi Civil Defence as saying. It said that initial reports indicated that fireworks were used during the celebration, which may have caused the fire. The building was covered with highly flammable materials, which accelerated the blaze that led to the collapse of part of the building, the INA said, adding that an investigation was launched into the incident. It was not clear if the bride and the groom were among the victims. Initial reports in Iraqi media said they had died in the blaze, with news agency Nina later reporting that they were alive but were being treated for burns. Health Ministry spokesman Sayf al-Badr said that the situation is under control and that they were following the incident closely. (IANS)
15-year-old girl fatally stabbed
London, Sep 27: A 15-year-old girl was stabbed to death during Wednesday’s morning rush hour in south London, police said. The Metropolitan Police said officers arrested a teenage boy who may have known the victim in connection with the stabbing. Police were called at around 8:30 am after receiving reports that a girl was stabbed in Croydon, south of London. Multiple police vehicles and land and air ambulances attended, but the girl was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after. A white forensic tent was erected within a police cordon at the scene. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was “heartbroken” by the death and expressed sympathy with the girl’s family and locals. Stabbings involving young people are not uncommon in London but it is relatively rare for such incidents to involve girls. (AP)
Indian national dies in Singapore
Singapore, Sep 27: A 34-year-old Indian national died after being hit by a steel bar at a construction site in Singapore where he worked. The worker was performing cable-pulling work when a steel stand that was supporting a cable drum gave way, leading to the accident on Sunday afternoon in Pasir Ris Industrial Drive 1, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said. “As a general safety measure, the cable drum and its supporting structure must be stable and secured during cabling works,” MOM said, adding that it is investigating the fatal accident. A cable drum is a round, cylindrical object used to carry wound-up wires and cables. The victim was rushed to Changi General Hospital, where he died of his injuries, The Straits Times reported on Tuesday, adding that he was employed by Alliance E&C. Hong Hock Global is the occupier of the work site, and has been ordered to stop all cable-laying work. There have been at least 19 work-related deaths in Singapore so far in 2023, in comparison to a total of 30 workplace fatalities in the whole of 2020, 37 in 2021 and 46 in 2022. (IANS)