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HAMDANIYAH, Iraq - Families and loved ones of the Hamdaniya victims are left permanently scarred after a deadly fire engulfed a hall hosting a packed wedding in the town, turning the celebration into a funeral.
Over a hundred people lost their lives when a deadly fire scorched a wedding hall in Nineveh’s Hamdaniya district near Iraq’s second-largest northern city of Mosul after the roof’s highly flammable plastic ceiling caught fire when fireworks were ignited from the floor.
The hall’s roof quickly caved in as the attendants, who numbered over a thousand, rushed to evacuate from the only exit door - the back kitchen door - with frightened attendants unable to open the main door.
Families of the victims on Thursday told Rudaw English of their immense sufferings after losing many loved ones, saying that very little can be done to bring them solace.
Matti Francis Matti, an elderly deacon at Syriac Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception, lost his wife in the tragedy. Calling it a “huge tragedy,” he called on authorities to tackle the carelessness that resulted in the disaster.
Matti’s sorrow was echoed by Malika Jiji, an elderly woman who said that the blaze has traumatized the town’s residents.
After church, families headed towards Hamdaniya’s graveyard to put their loved ones to rest.
Rajaa Slewa Salah and her sister said three of their loved ones are missing and urgently pleaded for help to locate them, showing glimpses of hope despite all odds.
Upon looking at Haytham Hall, one could clearly understand why so many lost their lives. The hall was small, packed, and lacking proper safety equipment and evacuation measures.
Iraqi civil defense authorities uncovered the corpse of yet another victim as Rudaw English toured the significant destruction at the hall.
Hamdaniya, also known as Qaraqosh or Bakhdida, is one of the Assyrian Christian towns best recovering from years of brutal reign under the Islamic State (ISIS).
As the details of the tragedy unfolded, locals said that the town’s small and tightly-packed community will never be the same again.
Video Producer: Aland Qaradaxi
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