‘SUFFOCATING’

More Than 100 Killed as Fire Rips Through Wedding in Northern Iraq

The blaze was reportedly started by fireworks set off as the newlyweds began their first dance.

More than 100 people have been killed in a fire at a wedding in northern Iraq that was reportedly started by fireworks set off as the bride and groom took to the floor for their first dance. More than 150 other guests received burns or other injuries in the fire, at a wedding venue in Qaraqosh, near Mosul, late on Tuesday night. As rescue workers combed through the charred wreckage of the building on Wednesday morning, a provincial official put the death toll at 113. One man injured in the fire told the Kurdish TV network Rudaw the blaze started as the newly married couple started their slow dance after a Christian wedding ceremony. “They lit up fireworks,” he said. “It hit the ceiling, which caught fire.” Another guest said: “We couldn’t see anything. We were suffocating. We didn’t know how to get out.” Iraqi state media monitored by Reuters said the venue had been constructed of highly inflammable materials, contributing to the ferocity of the fire. Arrest warrants have been issued for the owners of the hall.