In a tragic and heart-wrenching incident, over a hundred lives were abruptly extinguished, and close to 150 individuals were left grappling with injuries during a devastating fire that engulfed a wedding celebration in the Hamdaniya district of Iraq's Nineveh province. The aftermath of this horrific event saw civil defense teams tirelessly scouring the charred remains of the building, their search for survivors stretching into the early hours of Wednesday.
Nineveh's Deputy Governor, Hassan al-Allaq, conveyed to Reuters that a staggering 113 people had been officially confirmed as casualties, while state media reported a death toll of at least 100, with an additional 150 individuals sustaining injuries.
The calamity unfolded as a ferocious blaze swept through a spacious events hall in the northeastern part of the region. This destructive inferno was ignited by fireworks set off during the joyous celebration, according to accounts from local civil defense authorities as reported by state media.
One survivor, Imad Yohana, aged 34, recounted the harrowing ordeal, saying, "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."
A Reuters correspondent present at the scene captured footage revealing firefighters clambering amidst the charred ruins of the structure, their beams of light illuminating the smoldering remnants.
Preliminary information suggested that the ill-fated building had been constructed with highly combustible materials, a contributing factor to its swift and catastrophic collapse, as reported by state media.
In response to this tragic event, ambulances and medical teams were swiftly dispatched to the location by federal Iraqi authorities, along with assistance from Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, as outlined in official statements.
Eyewitnesses who were present at the scene of the tragedy recounted that the fire erupted at approximately 10:45 p.m. local time (1945 GMT). Tragically, hundreds of individuals had gathered to partake in the festivities at that fateful moment, making this incident all the more devastating.
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