Five thousand guests were killed by fire at a wedding in Iraq.
A wedding in the Iraqi province of Nineveh ended in tragedy, Reuters reports. During the newlyweds’ dance, a fatal mistake was made when launching fireworks. The flames engulfed the ceremony hall within five minutes, trapping a thousand people inside. A stampede began and the roof collapsed.
According to the authorities of the city of Al-Hamdaniya, the total number of victims exceeds 450 people, including children. Of these, about 120 have died so far.
The Iraqi Foreign Ministry said that the cause of the mass death was several factors, Al Jazeera reports. The fireworks were set off indoors, there was little security and emergency exits were locked.
Iraqi authorities declared a national mourning lasting three days in memory of the victims of the fire. According to an eyewitness, the bride and groom managed to survive.