At least 100 killed in Iraq wedding fire tragedy
At least 100 people were killed and more than 150 injured when a fire broke out during a wedding at an event hall in the northern Iraqi town of Qaraqosh, officials said on Wednesday. At the main hospital in the predominantly Christian town east of Mosul, an AFP photographer saw ambulances arriving with sirens blaring and dozens of people gathering in the courtyard to donate blood. Others could be seen gathering in front of the open doors of a refrigerated truck loaded with black body bags. Citing a "preliminary tally", Iraq's official INA news agency reported that health authorities in Nineveh province had "counted 100 dead and more than 150 injured in the fire at a marriage hall in Hamdaniyah", as the town is also known. The casualty toll was confirmed by health ministry spokesman Saif al-Badr. Badr said most of the injured were being treated for burns or oxygen deprivation, adding that there had also been crowd crushes in the packed reception hall. The Iraqi Red Crescent said it had recorded more than 450 casualties but was unable to provide a breakdown of how many had died. In a statement, civil defence authorities reported the presence of prefabricated panels inside the event hall that were "highly flammable and contravened safety standards". The danger was compounded by the "release of toxic gases linked to the combustion of the panels", which contained plastic. "The fire caused some parts of the ceiling to fall due to the use of highly flammable, low-cost construction materials," the statement said, with "preliminary information" suggesting fireworks were to blame for the blaze. (AFP)