It was hell: video of a fire starting at a wedding in Iraq, where several hundred people died
Last Tuesday, a major fire occurred during a wedding in the city of Hamdaniya. Fireworks were lit in the building, the sparks from which instantly set fire to the finishing panels. Hundreds of guests and newlyweds were trapped in the fire.
Tuesday evening. Magnificent wedding of Khanin and Revan. About a thousand guests, happy bride and groom. At some point, fireworks erupt in the hall, after which all hell breaks loose. The fire spreads to a canopy hanging from the ceiling - this very moment was captured on video. Then the flames spread throughout the hall. The building was lined with flammable panels, the Civil Defense and Iraq Department said. In addition, it did not have a fire alarm system or any means of extinguishing fire.
The fire trapped a thousand people in the hall. Many rushed to emergency exits, which, as it later turned out, were closed.
As a result, the wedding celebration turned into a tragedy. The number of victims has not yet been precisely established.
According to the Iraqi Red Crescent, more than 450 people were killed and injured, many of them children, as entire families usually gather for Eastern weddings. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is more reserved in statistics. Previously, it was announced that there were 120 dead and at least 200 injured. Many of those admitted to the clinic are in critical condition. Some have burned up to 60% of their body.
One of the young relatives said that they managed to survive. The bride and groom managed to run out of the hall on time, although, of course, such a beginning of family life will be remembered forever.
At the direction of federal authorities, the owner of a wedding hall in Al-Hamdaniya district was detained last Wednesday, the Iraqi news agency INA reported.
The Prime Minister of Iraq announced three days of mourning for the victims of the tragedy, which will begin today. The authorities of the province of Ninewa, where the fire occurred, made mourning for seven days.
