More than 100 people were killed and 150 injured in a fire that erupted during a wedding ceremony in northern Iraq's Nineveh province late on Tuesday. British media outlet BBC quoted local sources as saying that both the bride and groom were among those critically injured in the fire that occurred in the Al-Hamdaniya district. While the exact cause of the fire remains uncertain, initial accounts suggested that it may have been sparked by the ignition of fireworks while flammable panels in the building might have helped the flames.
"The fire led to the collapse of parts of the hall as a result of the use of highly flammable, low-cost building materials that collapse within minutes when the fire breaks out," Nina news agency quoted Iraq's civil defence directorate as saying.
Footage posted by several users on social media showed parts of ceiling falling down near the spot where bride and groom stood. Other images and videos showed firefighters climbing over the wreckage.
As per eyewitnesses, hundereds of people were present at the venue for the wedding ceremony when the building caught fire at around 10:45 local time.
"We saw the fire pulsating, coming out of the hall. Those who managed got out and those who didn't got stuck. Even those who made their way out were broken," Imad Yohana, 34, who escaped the inferno told news agency Reuters.
Ambulances and medical teams rushed to the spot by Iraqi authorities, as per an official statement.
Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani directed officials to "mobilise all efforts to provide relief to those affected by the unfortunate incident," said his office in a post on X.
Dozens of people arrived to donate blood at the main hospital in Hamdaniya, a town east of the region's capital Mosul.