Iraq: Over 100 dead, 150 injured after massive fire breaks out at wedding hall

A massive fire broke out at a hall where a Christian wedding was being hosted in northern Iraq, killing at least 100 people and injuring 150 others, authorities said on September 27, warning the death toll could rise higher.

According to authorities, the incident occurred in Iraq's Nineveh province's Hamdaniya district. This is a largely Christian neighbourhood just outside of Mosul, 335 kilometres (205 miles) northwest of Baghdad.

As the fire spread, television footage showed flames streaming over the bridal hall. Only charred metal and rubble could be seen as individuals strolled through the fire's aftermath, with the only light coming from television cameras and the lights of observers' mobile phones.

Survivors arrived at nearby hospitals, where they were given oxygen and bandaged, while their families crowded around halls and outside, where workmen were assembling more oxygen cylinders.

The casualty total was provided by Health Ministry spokesman Saif al-Badr via the state-run Iraqi News Agency.

According to his office, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered for a probe into the fire and instructed the country's Interior and Health agencies to give relief to the injured.

The provincial governor of Nineveh, Najim al-Jubouri, stated that some of the injured had been moved to regional hospitals. He warned that there were no final mortality estimates from the fire, implying that the death toll could potentially grow.

Also read : Canada updates travel advisory to citizens in India, urges to 'stay vigilant'