Warning: This article contains some graphic injury details as well as photos that some readers may find distressing.
A devastating fire that ripped through a wedding venue has left a total of 100 people dead as well as a further 150 injured.
Celebrations were cut short on Tuesday evening in Qaraqosh in Iraq's northern Nineveh province when a fire tore through Al Haytham Wedding Hall where hundreds of guests were celebrating the union of a loved one.
It has been reported that the blaze was ignited due to a mishap with fireworks, but local authorities have not yet confirmed the news.
As quoted by state news agency INA, flammable panels used in the ceiling work may have added to the fierceness of the fire after it also caught alight before collapsing on top of guests at the venue.
"The fire led to the collapse of parts of the hall as a result of the use of highly flammable, low-cost building materials that collapse within minutes when fire breaks out," Iraq's civil defense directorate allegedly said.
There have been conflicting reports on whether the bride and groom are among the victims.
While initially it was not confirmed whether they were or not, BBC News reported that a local health official later stated at a press conference that they had died.
Early reports from the scene also indicated the same, though Sky News has now reported that eyewitnesses said that the couple managed to escape the building and are alive.
Eyewitnesses said hundreds of people were at the venue celebrating when the property caught fire at around 10:45PM local time on Tuesday.
Speaking to Reuters, Imad Yohana, a 34-year-old guest who escaped the burning building, recalled: "We saw the fire pulsating, coming out of the hall. Those who managed got out and those who didn't got stuck. Even those who made their way out were broken."
Another wedding guest, Rania Waad, who sustained a burn to her hand, said that the bride and groom were slow dancing when "fireworks started to climb to the ceiling [and] the whole hall went up in flames."
"We couldn't see anything," the 17-year-old told news agency AFP. "We were suffocating, we didn't know how to get out."
Photos taken from the scene show firefighters standing amongst the carnage after the raging inferno had been put out. The building still remains standing, though the ceiling has completely collapsed and the insides have been left charred.
Over 150 people, including children, were rushed to hospital after suffering serious burns at the site, but the death of 100 people who had been in attendance has left a nation utterly devastated.
The deputy governor of Nineveh, Hassan al-Allaq, told Reuters that 113 people had been confirmed dead, but has suggested that this is not a fixed number and that the fatalities may rise once further investigations are completed.
Iraq's Prime Minister took to Twitter, now known as X, stating that he had told officials to "mobilize all efforts to provide relief to those affected by the unfortunate incident."
Other citizens also arrived at the scene to aid the rescue efforts while some headed to the nearby medical facilities to donate blood to those who will have to undergo treatment to save their lives.
Our thoughts and prayers are will everyone who has been affected by this terrible incident and we wish all those who are injured a speedy recovery.
