At least a hundred dead and more than 150 injured in a fire at a wedding in Iraq

The prime minister orders the mobilization of resources to help the victims and investigate the event

At least a hundred people have died and more than 150 have been injured as a result of the fire at a wedding hall during a celebration in the Iraqi town of Al Hamdaniya, located in the Iraqi region of Nineveh (northern).

"The Nineveh Health Department recorded 100 deaths and more than 150 injuries as a preliminary figure as a result of the fire at the wedding hall in Al Hamdaniya," said Iraqi Health Ministry spokesman Saif al Badr, according to the agency. Iraqi news station INA.

Shortly after, the Iraqi Red Crescent has indicated that the event has left at least 450 victims, including deaths and injuries. "The number of fatalities and injuries amounts to more than 450 people due to the fire at a wedding in Al Hamdaniya," he specified in a message on his account on the social network X, formerly known as Twitter.

Previously, the country's prime minister, Mohamed Shia al Sudani, ordered the mobilization of all resources to help those affected and the opening of an investigation to clarify the causes of the event, according to a message published by his office on his account on X .

Initial information points to fireworks as the cause of the fire, according to authorities, while Iraq's Civil Defense has indicated that the room "was covered in highly flammable panels that violate safety ordinances."

"The fire caused parts of the wedding hall to collapse due to the use of highly flammable and low-cost construction materials," he said, while noting that "the collapse took place just minutes after the start of the fire." ".

The injured have been transferred to several hospitals in both Nineveh and Kurdistan, according to the governor of the Nineveh region, Najm al Juburi, who has assured that "there is no definitive figure for the number of dead or injured."

For his part, Ahmed Dubardani, 'number two' of the Nineveh Health Department, has specified that the majority of the injured are in critical condition. "The minor injured person on record has burns on 40 percent of his body," he detailed.

"The majority are completely burned. Some have burns on 50 or 60 percent of their bodies. That is not good at all. Most of them are not in a good condition," he lamented, in statements given to the television network. Kurdish television Rudaw.

The president of the Iraqi Parliament, Mohamed al Halbusi, said in X that the authorities "are following the tragic events in Al Hamdaniya" and stressed that "efforts have been mobilized" to address the situation. "We ask Almighty God to shower the victims with mercy and forgiveness and to give the families patience and comfort."

Likewise, the president of the semi-autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan, Nechirvan Barzani, has conveyed his condolences to the families of the victims in this "tragic incident." "In these difficult and painful times, our thoughts are with them and we are prepared to help," he said in a statement.

The UN Assistance Mission in the country (UNAMI) has joined in the condolences, which has been "shocked and affected by the horrible loss of life and injuries caused by the fire in Al Hamdaniya." "It is an immense tragedy. We convey our sincere condolences to the families who have lost loved ones and we wish a quick recovery to the injured," he stressed.