A bride and groom who escaped with their lives after a fire broke out at their wedding have spoken out on the impact of losing 100 of their loved ones in the tragic blaze.
Celebrations were cut short during an event in Qaraqosh in Iraq's northern Nineveh province on 27 September last year.
A fire had torn through Al Haytham Wedding Hall where hundreds of guests were celebrating the union of a local couple.
Early reports stated that the blaze was ignited due to a mishap with fireworks.
As quoted by state news agency INA, flammable panels used in the ceiling work may have added to the ferocity of the fire after it also caught alight before collapsing on top of guests at the venue.
A view of devastation after a fire at a wedding celebration in Mosul, Iraq on September 27. Credit: Ahsan Mohammed Ahmed Ahmed/Anadolu Agency/Getty"
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 reportedly said.
Eyewitnesses said hundreds of people were at the venue celebrating when the property caught fire at around 10:45PM local time.
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 AFP. "We were suffocating, we didn't know how to get out."
Soldiers are seen in front of the site after a fire broke out at a wedding celebration in the northern Nineveh province. Credit: Ahsan Mohammed Ahmed Ahmed/Anadolu Agency/Getty
Photos from the aftermath of the devastation of the blaze showed the charred remains of what used to be a vibrant wedding venue.
It has been reported that 100 people died, while another 150 people were taken to hospital to be treated for their injuries.
While the funerals of the victims are being held, the bride, 18-year-old Haneen, and the groom, 27-year-old Revan spoke out during an interview with Sky News.
Funerals are being held for the victims of the tragedy. Credit: Ismael Adnan Yaqoob/Anadolu Agency/ Getty
Haneen, who lost her mother and brother among 10 family members, was too shaken up to speak, but her husband, who lost 15 relatives, said that the couple was "dead inside."
"Inside we are dead. We are numb. We are dead inside," he told the outlet.
When asked about the cause of the blaze, which had been rumored to be started by indoor fireworks, Revan said that it could have been a "short circuit" in the ceiling.
"It could be a short-circuit, I don't know. But the fire started in the ceiling," he claimed.
He continued: "We felt the heat… When I heard the crackling I looked at the ceiling. Then the ceiling, which was all nylon, started to melt. It only took seconds."
The groom also recalled the difficulties he faced when trying to rescue his new wife from the inferno.
"I kept dragging her and trying to get her out of the kitchen entrance. As people were fleeing, people were trampling on her," he said. "Her legs are injured..."
"Our relatives, our friends, our loved ones are all gone," he added before recalling: "Two days ago we buried [Haneen's] uncle and his two daughters. Yesterday we buried her other uncle. Today we buried his daughter and we buried her mother. Her father is in a critical condition. We don't know what his condition is."
The pair have also stated that they won't be able to live in their community anymore due to the trauma they have suffered.
