More than 100 people have been killed and 150 people injured in a fire at a wedding celebration in the district of Hamdaniya in Iraq’s Nineveh province, Iraqi state media have reported.
The health department in Nineveh put the death toll at 114. Health ministry spokesperson Saif al-Badr had earlier put the number of injured at 150.
“All efforts are being made to provide relief to those affected by the unfortunate accident,” al-Badr said.
“The majority of the injured suffer from burns and asphyxiation,” he said, adding that there had also been crowd crushes at the scene.
Civil defence authorities said that preliminary information suggested fireworks were to blame for the blaze and the Kurdish television news channel Rudaw aired footage showing fireworks shooting up from the floor of the events hall and setting a chandelier aflame.
Footage shown on other local television networks appeared to show the bride and groom on the dancefloor when the fire began Tuesday night, stunned by the sight of the burning debris. It wasn’t immediately clear if they were among those hurt.
