100 killed, over 150 injured as fire engulfs a wedding in Iraq

New Delhi : A wedding is believed to set you on a beginning of a new phase of life, but in Iraq a wedding ended with over 100 lives lost and left more than 150 with an unforgettable scar as fire engulfed the event in the northern Iraqi town of Hamdaniyah.

According to a statement by Civil Defence authority, the fire became highly inflammable due to the presence of prefabricated panels inside the event hall. "The fire caused some parts of the ceiling to fall due to the use of highly flammable, low-cost construction materials," the statement said.

Meanwhile, the local media has stated fireworks for wedding as the reason behind fire in the wedding hall.

The fire speeded due to the presence of highly flammable items present inside the wedding hall. The injured were rushed to the main hospital in Hamdaniyah, where ambulances and other vehicles were seen arriving with sirens blaring and dozens of people gathering in the courtyard to donate blood.

The safety standards in Iraq's construction and transport sectors have often been in question and such incidents only mark a new dent on it.