At least 114 people have been killed in a major fire that broke out at a wedding party in the town of Hamdaniya in the northern Iraqi province of Nineveh, reports said. international media Wednesday. At least 150 people were also injured, including an unknown number of children. Most of the injured suffer from burns and suffocation. Iraqi authorities suspect that the death toll will rise further.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire, but they suspect it started after fireworks were set off during the wedding. According to Iraqi police, the hall where the party took place was built with “cheap roof panels” that are “highly flammable and contrary to safety standards.” In Iraq, construction safety standards are often ignored, which has led to fires several times.
The fire broke out around 10:24 pm local time, when hundreds of people were present in the venue. Parts of the ceiling fell down. Toxic gases were also released when the panels, partly made of plastic, caught fire, authorities said. Emergency troops from Nineveh and other provinces have responded to the fire.