Soldiers and First Responders Converge at Hamdaniyah General Hospital in Al-Hamdaniyah, Iraq, After Wedding Hall Fire Claims Over 100 Lives and Injures More Than 150
Tragedy Strikes Iraq’s Nineveh Province: A heart-wrenching incident unfolded in Iraq’s Nineveh province, as more than 100 individuals lost their lives, and 150 suffered injuries during a fire that engulfed a wedding party in the Hamdaniya district. The incident prompted civil defense teams to search through the charred remains of the building late into the night and early hours of Wednesday.
Hassan al-Allaq, the Deputy Governor of Nineveh, confirmed that 113 people had tragically perished, while state media reported a death toll of at least 100, along with 150 individuals sustaining injuries.
The devastating fire erupted within a spacious event hall in the northeastern region after fireworks were ignited as part of the celebration, as reported by local civil defense officials and state media.
Witnesses recounted the horrific scene, describing the flames billowing out of the hall. Some managed to escape, while others were trapped inside. Even those who escaped bore the physical and emotional scars of the catastrophe.
Video footage from a Reuters correspondent present at the scene depicted firefighters navigating the scorched remnants of the structure, their lights illuminating the smoldering ruins.
Preliminary findings suggested that the building’s construction materials were highly flammable, which contributed to its swift collapse, according to state media reports.
Promptly following the incident, ambulances and medical teams were dispatched to the site by federal Iraqi authorities and the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, according to official statements.
Eyewitnesses recounted that the fire erupted around 10:45 p.m. local time (1945 GMT) while hundreds of people were gathered for the event.
Reporting contributed by Timour Azhari in Baghdad, Jamal Badrani in Nineveh, and Enas Alasharay in Cairo. Rewritten by Timour Azhari; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Christopher Cushing.
