In the northern Iraqi town of Al-Hamdaniyah, joy turned to terror when a massive fire broke out at a wedding event hall.
State media and health officials have reported a harrowing loss of over 100 lives, with another 150 guests suffering injuries.
Rescue operations, racing against time, persisted through the early hours of Wednesday. Nineveh Deputy Governor Hassan al-Allaq confirmed 113 deaths, while state media’s count was around 100 fatalities with 150 injuries. The fire’s spark? An accidental ignition of fireworks during the celebrations. Imad Yohana, a lucky survivor, depicted the horror, describing the flames as they surged, trapping many inside while only a few managed to escape.
On-ground recordings by Reuters depicted firefighters meticulously scouring the burnt remnants of the venue in the hope of finding survivors, their path lit by powerful beams.
Contributing Factors to the Catastrophe
The preliminary probe has pointed a finger at the building materials. The hall, it seems, was erected using materials that were not just highly flammable but also played a pivotal role in the building’s swift downfall.
Swiftly reacting to the calamity, medical units from the federal Iraqi authorities and the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region rushed to the scene. Details reveal the incident struck at around 10:45 p.m. local time. The magnitude of the tragedy was evident at the main Hamdaniyah hospital, where a sea of ambulances arrived, and residents thronged to donate blood.
A Glaring Concern in Safety Standards
The tragedy highlights a much bigger issue: the flagrant disregard for safety in Iraq’s construction and transportation sectors. Reports from civil defence authorities have condemned the use of highly flammable panels in the event hall’s construction, blatantly ignoring safety norms. The fallout? Parts of the ceiling gave way during the inferno.
Such incidents are a poignant reminder of Iraq’s faltering infrastructure, still reeling from years of strife, leading to frequent, tragic mishaps.
