Tragedy struck what was meant to be this couple’s happiest day of their lives. A massive fire broke out at a wedding ceremony in Iraq, killing over 100 people and injuring another 150. The fire was sparked by fireworks that had been blown off inside the wedding hall as the bride and groom were slow dancing, engulfing the entire building.
Chaos ensued as up to 900 guests rushed towards the exits of the burning building while trying to escape from the toxic smoke. Witnesses said that they lit up fireworks during the first dance which caused the ceiling to catch fire.
Many were left trapped in the burning building as they couldn’t see through the black smoke due to intense heat and darkness.
New video shows moment fire breaks out at wedding in Iraq, killing at least 114 people. Death toll expected to rise pic.twitter.com/IK0yEZDkEO
— BNO News (@BNONews) September 27, 2023
Hundreds of wedding guests were rushed to hospital with severe burns across their bodies, many fighting for their lives. Witnesses said that fireworks had been set off during the couple’s first dance which sent sparks flying up to the ceiling and quickly started a raging inferno.
Chaos ensued as guests desperately tried to escape but some were unfortunately unable to make it out alive due to smoke inhalation or burns from falling debris.
Injured guests were later seen lying in hospital beds with bandages covering their injuries while emergency crews sifted through what was left of the scene – charred metal and debris strewn everywhere.
The exterior of the building was decorated with ‘highly flammable’ cladding that is illegal in Iraq according to civil defense officials quoted by Iraqi News Agency reports – an issue that made matters much worse for those caught up in this horrific blaze.
This included toxic gases linked to combusting panels which contained plastic, adding further peril for guests trying desperately to flee from harm’s way.
Father Rudi Saffar Khoury expressed his belief that either an event organizer mistake or technical error could be behind this tragedy however only time will tell until an official cause can be determined.
