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Photos: Emergency crews sift through charred remains of wedding hall after fatal blaze kills 100 in Iraq
In a statement, civil defence authorities reported the presence of prefabricated panels inside the hall that were 'highly flammable'
Photo: Reuters
At least 100 people were killed and more than 150 injured when a fire broke out during a wedding at an event hall in the northern Iraqi town of Qaraqosh, officials said early Wednesday.
Citing a "preliminary tally", Iraq's official INA news agency reported that health authorities in Nineveh province had "counted 100 dead and more than 150 injured in the fire at a marriage hall in Hamdaniyah", as the town is also known.
The casualty toll was confirmed to AFP by health ministry spokesman Saif al-Badr.
Badr said most of the injured were being treated for burns or oxygen deprivation, adding that there had also been crowd crushes in the packed reception hall.
The Iraqi Red Crescent said it had recorded more than 450 casualties but was unable to provide a breakdown of how many had died.
Here are some pictures of the rubble at the site after the fatal fire, as emergency crews sifted through the charred remains of the event hall early Wednesday, inspecting the scene by flashlight:
Photo: Reuters
Photo: Reuters
Photo: Reuters
Photo: Reuters
Photo: Reuters
In a statement, civil defence authorities reported the presence of prefabricated panels inside the event hall that were "highly flammable and contravened safety standards".
Here are some pictures of the hall where the blaze occurred:
Photo: Reuters
Photo: AP
The danger of the fire was compounded by the "release of toxic gases linked to the combustion of the panels", which contained plastic.
"The fire caused some parts of the ceiling to fall due to the use of highly flammable, low-cost construction materials," the statement said, with "preliminary information" suggesting fireworks were to blame for the blaze.
In a brief statement, Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani called on the health and interior ministers to "mobilise all rescue efforts" to help the victims of the fire.
The health ministry said "medical aid trucks" had been dispatched to the area from Baghdad and other provinces, adding that its teams in Nineveh had been mobilised to care for the injured.
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