According to investigators, the serious fire at a wedding in Iraq that killed more than 100 people was caused by a series of violations of safety standards. Both the owners of the hall where the wedding took place and the guests themselves ignored the demands, Maj. Gen. Saad Falih said Sunday in Baghdad. He heads an investigative committee into the devastating fire in the city of Al-Hamdanija, also known as Karakush, in the northwest of the country.
The fire started on Tuesday night during a wedding reception. According to official data, 107 people died and 82 were injured. According to the Ministry of the Interior, the fireworks caused a fire in the ceiling, which resulted in the collapse of the hall’s roof.
Many people, flammable material
“The hall was designed for only 500 people, but around 600 people were evacuated,” Falih said. There was no “intent”, such as a criminal record. Instead, the salon’s owners failed in their duty, said Kadham Buhan, an adviser to the Iraqi Interior Minister and a member of the committee, according to state news agency INA. The strong heat from the fireworks and flammable decorations on the ceiling and floor contributed to the disaster, Buhan said. Furthermore, there was only one emergency exit.
Published/Updated:
The bride and groom survived the fire. “It is true that we are sitting alive before you. But inside we are dead, we are deaf,” fiancé Riwan, 27, told Sky News. 15 of his relatives were killed. His 18-year-old wife, who lost her mother, brother and eight other relatives, was unable to speak. Because of the disaster, they wanted to leave their hometown. “That’s it, we can’t live here anymore,” Riwan said.