Tragedy Strikes Northern Iraq! Wedding Hall Blaze Claims 100 Lives, Leaves 150 Injured

Iraq: Authorities warned on Wednesday that the death toll could go up after a fire ripped through a ballroom holding a Christian wedding in northern Iraq, killing at least 100 people and injuring 150 more. According to authorities, the incident occurred in the Hamdaniya neighbourhood of Iraq's Nineveh region. Nearby Mosul, which is located around 335 kilometres (205 miles) northwest of Baghdad, is a region that is primarily Christian.

Amidst Flames, Desperation, and Darkness, Survivors Rushed to Hospitals

As the fire spread, television footage showed flames streaming over the bridal hall. People walking through the scene of the fire could only see charred metal and debris, with the only light coming from television cameras and the lights of observers' cell phones. As more oxygen cylinders were being organised, survivors were transported to nearby hospitals where they were given oxygen and bandaged while their families milled about in the halls and outside.

Investigation Ordered into Tragic Wedding Hall Fire

Saif al-Badr, a spokesman for the health ministry, provided the number of casualties via the official Iraqi News Agency. “All efforts are being made to provide relief to those affected by the unfortunate accident,” al-Badr said. According to a statement posted online by the prime minister's office, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered an investigation into the fire and requested assistance from the interior and health ministries of the nation.

Unconfirmed Casualties and Possible Cause

Nineveh's province governor, Najim al-Jubouri, reported that some of the injured had been sent to nearby hospitals. He advised that there were still unconfirmed casualty numbers from the fire, indicating that the death toll could potentially increase. Although the source of the fire was not immediately known, early reports by the Kurdish television news channel Rudaw stated that fireworks at the event may have been what started the fire. According to civil defence officials cited by the Iraqi News Agency, the wedding hall's outside was adorned with flammable cladding that was prohibited in the nation.

Building Material Flaw Suspected

“The fire led to the collapse of parts of the hall as a result of the use of highly flammable, low-cost building materials that collapse within minutes when the fire breaks out,” civil defense said. Although corruption and poor management are still widespread in Iraq two decades after the US-led invasion that deposed Saddam Hussein, it wasn't immediately clear why officials there allowed the cladding to be put on the facility. Although some cladding types can be composed of fire-resistant material, experts claim that those that have caught fire at wedding halls and other locations weren't built to fulfil more stringent safety regulations and were frequently installed on buildings without any breaks to delay or stop a potential flame. This includes numerous high-rise fires in the United Arab Emirates as well as the 2017 Grenfell Fire in London, which claimed 72 lives and was the deadliest fire on British territory since World War II.

Christian Minority in Iraq

The fire was the most recent catastrophe to affect Iraq's dwindling Christian minority, which has been viciously targeted over the past 20 years by extremists, first from al-Qaida and later the militant organisation Islamic State. Even though the Islamic State organisation was driven out of the Nineveh plains, the country's historical homeland, six years ago, certain villages are still largely in ruins and are lacking in essential amenities. A lot of Christians have emigrated to Europe, Australia, or the US. In contrast to the 1.5 million Christians in Iraq in 2003, the estimated number of Christians today is 150,000. More than 40 million people live in Iraq.

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