Iraq Wedding Fire Tragedy: Ayatollah Sistani Offers Condolences
At least 114 people were killed and more than 200 were injured when a fire broke out during the wedding at an event hall in the northern Iraqi town of Hamdaniyah, Nineveh Governorate, on Tuesday night.
The hall was built using prefabricated panels, civil defense authorities said in a statement, adding that they were “highly flammable and contravened safety standards”.
In a message on Wednesday, Ayatollah Sistani expressed deep sorrow for the tragic incident, expressing condolences to the families of victims.
The senior cleric also prayed for divine mercy for the victims and quick recovery for those injured in the incident.
Head of the National Wisdom Movement Sayyid Ammar al-Hakim also expressed condolences to the Iraqi people and families of victims, while the United Nations’ office in Iraq, and the EU’s representative office in Baghdad sympathized with the Arab country.
The Iraqi prime minister declared three days of national mourning after the tragedy.
Also, the governorate of Nineveh announced that celebrations marking the birth anniversary of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) will be postponed until further notice.
It declared a week of mourning in the northern governorate of the Arab country.
Eyewitnesses reported that the fire broke out at approximately 10:45 p.m. local time (1945 GMT), with hundreds of people in attendance at the time of the incident.
Preliminary information indicates that the building was constructed with highly flammable materials, contributing to its swift collapse, according to state media.
Official statements confirm that ambulances and medical teams were dispatched to the site by federal Iraqi authorities and Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.
The forces of Hashd al-Shaabi or Popular Mobilization Units’ (PMU) 30th Brigade were also deployed to the city to help in rescue efforts.
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