A fire erupted at a wedding hall in Hamdaniyah, located to the east of Mosul, Iraq, resulting in a tragic loss of at least 113 lives and leaving approximately 150 individuals injured.
The incident occurred on Tuesday night, and authorities have expressed concern that the death toll may rise as investigations continue.
The cause of the fire has yet to be officially determined, but early reports suggest it may have been ignited by fireworks used to celebrate the wedding.
In the aftermath of the blaze, the scene was one of devastation, with charred metal and debris scattered throughout the hall.
Survivors were rushed to local hospitals, many of them covered in bandages and requiring oxygen support. Families anxiously waited in hospital hallways as medical workers organized the distribution of oxygen cylinders. Heartbreakingly, some of the victims were children.
Local health officials have revised the death toll to 114, while federal authorities continue to report at least 100 fatalities. The number of injured individuals, according to Health Ministry spokesman Saif al-Badr, stands at 150, as reported by the state-run Iraqi News Agency.
Health official Ahmed Dubardani in the province noted that many of the injured victims sustained serious burns. "The majority of them were completely burned, and some others had 50 to 60% of their bodies burned," Dubardani said. "This is not good at all. The majority of them were not in good condition."
In response to the tragic incident, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has ordered an investigation into the fire.
He has also called upon the country's Interior and Health officials to provide immediate relief to the affected individuals and families. (ILKHA)
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