A wedding in northern Iraq ended in tragedy on Tuesday after a fire broke out, killing at least 114 people and injuring at least 150 others. The blaze was apparently started by indoor fireworks, which ignited the ceiling, according to new video (see below, posted by BNO News). In the first moments of the fire, guests can be seen calmly looking up, perhaps wondering if it was just part of the elaborate spectacle.
"The hall did not meet safety criteria. Because of the fireworks, the ceiling collapsed on the people in the hall," Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari said on Wednesday, via CNN.
The wedding hall, in which 1,300 guests had attended for the event, was not equipped with fire extinguishers, according to the groom's father, who reported that both the bride and groom had survived and were recovering in a hospital.
Fourteen people have been arrested so far in connection with the fire.
Front page thumbnail image: Piotr Zajda / shutterstock.com
