Qaraqosh wedding fire

On 26 September 2023, at around 22:45 AST, a fire broke out at the Al Haytham Wedding Hall during an Assyrian wedding in Qaraqosh, Al-Hamdaniya District, Nineveh Governorate, Iraq.[2] It was caused by pyrotechnic flares released inside the hall. Out of the estimated 1,000 people present, approximately 140 were killed, and 250 were injured.

Qaraqosh wedding fire
Qaraqosh is located in Iraq
Qaraqosh
Qaraqosh
Qaraqosh (Iraq)
Date26 September 2023 (2023-09-26)
Time22:45 (AST)
VenueAl Haytham Wedding Hall,[1] Qaraqosh, Al-Hamdaniya District, Nineveh Governorate, Iraq
Coordinates36°16′51″N 43°22′40″E
TypeFire
CausePyrotechnic flares
Deaths140
Non-fatal injuries250

Background

The area where the fire occurred was captured by the Islamic State in 2014, and until it was liberated by US-backed Iraqi forces in 2016, there was heavy damage and massive relocation of its population.[1] Iraq has a history of accidents which have been blamed on lax public safety regulations, such as a hospital fire in Baghdad in 2021 and the sinking of a ferry near Mosul in 2019.[3]

Fire

An estimated 1,000 people were believed to be present at the wedding.[4] According to eyewitnesses, the fire started after flares were lit when the married couple began dancing together. The sparks from the flares ignited suspended decorations which fell and quickly spread to other flammable materials on tables.[5] Video footage from inside the venue showed pyrotechnics shooting up from the floor and setting parts of the ceiling on fire while the bride and groom were slow-dancing.[6]

The father of the groom indicated that there were no fire extinguishers or other safety measures in the hall.[1] Management made the decision to cut the power, thinking the fire had been started by an electrical fault and immediately submerged the hall in darkness, making it harder for people to escape. The roof "caught fire within three seconds" and collapsed on the people inside.[7] To help people evacuate the building quickly, a bulldozer destroyed parts of the wall.[5]

Casualties

According to Nineveh Deputy Governor Hasan al-Allaq shortly after the fire, 114 people died, with at least 150 injured.[8] Of those killed, around 30 were identified by relatives, with the rest requiring DNA identification due to burns.[9] On 1 October these numbers were lowered to 107 killed and 82 injured.[10]

The injured were transferred to nearby hospitals. An Iraqi journalist said that there was insufficient medical equipment to handle the casualties.[7] Of those injured, a majority of them were completely burned while others were 50–60% burned.[11] Contrary to initial reports, the bride and groom survived.[7] At least 12 people who suffered severe burns were sent for treatment abroad.[12]

Investigation

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani said that an investigative committee would be established and ordered all relevant authorities to intensify building inspections and verification of safety procedures.[13] Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari stated that the results of the investigation should be released shortly after the fire.[1]

Authorities attributed the spread of the fire to the wedding hall's exterior being covered with a highly flammable, low-cost type of "sandwich panel" cladding that was also blamed in the 2021 Baghdad hospital fire and was banned in the country.[14] The spread was exacerbated by flammable building materials and pre-fabricated panels which were in violation of safety regulations.[15][13] Due to the combustion of the composite panels, which contained plastic, the fire spread very quickly and released toxic gases.[16]

Response

Security forces arrested ten staff, the owner, and three people responsible for the fireworks.[7] Prime Minister Al Sudani announced three days of national mourning.[7] On 28 September, he visited Qaraqosh to see the injured and the families of the victims.[17] Members of the minority Assyrian community criticized government corruption and a lax approach to public safety,[3] while religious leaders from the Iraqi Christian community called for an international investigation into the fire.[12]

The Catholic archbishop of Erbil said that "words cannot describe the pain" that the community was going through, but added that the tragedy had brought together members of different religions in Iraq. "This tragedy has brought the people of Iraq together again. The Sunnis have cancelled their celebrations of the birth of their prophet Mohammad, and we have statements of condolences and support from the Shia community as well. The Governments of Iraq and Kurdistan also announced three days of mourning", said Archbishop Bashar Warda.[18]

See also
Indoor pyrotechnics fires with at least 100 deaths
Other fires

References
  1. Mando, Nechirvan; Alam, Hande Atay; Najim, Aqeel; Haq, Sana Noor (26 September 2023). "'Wedding became a graveyard.' At least 100 killed as fire rips through party in Iraq". CNN. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  2. "At Least 100 Are Killed in Fire at Wedding Hall in Iraq". The New York Times. Associated Press. 26 September 2023. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  3. Ismail, Amina (28 September 2023). "Iraqis who fled ISIS blame political rot for tragic wedding fire". Reuters. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  4. "More than 100 killed, over 150 injured in fire at wedding party in Iraq". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  5. Rubin, Alissa J. (27 September 2023). "As Hundreds Were Celebrating a Wedding, It Turned Into an Inferno". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  6. "A fire at a wedding hall in Iraq kills at least 100 people and injures 150 more". NPR. Associated Press. 27 September 2023. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  7. Armstrong, Kathryn; Gritten, David (26 September 2023). "Iraq fire: Around 100 killed in blaze at wedding party in Qaraqosh". BBC News. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  8. Jennings, Danielle; Shalvey, Kevin (26 September 2023). "More than 100 dead, over 200 injured in fire at Iraq wedding party". ABC News. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  9. Abdulwahed, Farid; Abdul-Zahra, Qassim (26 September 2023). "A fire at a wedding hall in northern Iraq has killed around 100 people and injured 150". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  10. "Al-Hamdaniyah fire was accidental and caused by fiery source touched flammable materials: Investigation Committee". Iraqi News Agency. 1 October 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  11. "Wedding inferno: Fire kills over 100 party-goers in Nineveh" (live update). Rudaw Media Network. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  12. "Iraqi Christian religious leaders demand an international investigation into deadly wedding fire". Associated Press. 2 October 2023. Archived from the original on 3 October 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  13. Gritten, David (27 September 2023). "Iraq wedding fire: What we know about Qaraqosh blaze". BBC News. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  14. "Iraq's Nineveh buries its dead as families seek answers after wedding fire". Al Jazeera. 28 September 2023. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  15. Beaumont, Peter (26 September 2023). "More than 100 people killed after fire breaks out at Iraq wedding". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  16. Maan, Saad [@saadmaanoficial] (26 September 2023). "الدفاع المدني تدفع بأقصى الإمكانات لتنفذ وتخلي العوائل وتخمد حادث حريق اندلع داخل قاعة للأعراس بمحافظة نينوى" (Tweet). Retrieved 27 September 2023 – via Twitter.
  17. "Grief, anger at Iraq mass for victims of wedding fire". France 24. Agence France-Presse. 28 September 2023. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  18. ACN (29 September 2023). "Wedding fire tragedy in Iraq: "We cannot describe the pain", says Archbishop". ACN International. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
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