Iraqi Wedding Venue Catches Fire, at least 19 Guests Killed

Written by Jillian Shaw | October 1, 2023

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QARAQOSH, Iraq — On what was supposed to be a couple’s happiest day together, tragedy struck last Tuesday as a fire started in an Iraqi wedding hall and killed at least 119 people. Out of around 1,000 total guests, 80 are still hospitalized as of Friday night and many are still missing and presumed dead. The tragedy has hit the northern Iraqi region of Nineveh very deeply, as funeral services began as early as Wednesday, with parades of mourners in the streets.

The fire began at approximately 10:45pm local time during the newlywed couple’s slow dance together as celebrators lit fireworks, which are commonly used during weddings in Iraq. The fireworks traveled up and caught a chandelier on fire, which spread rapidly across the entire ceiling. While this would be dangerous anywhere, this wedding hall was particularly flammable and did not follow full safety codes, making the situation even more dire for those who were trapped inside. The wall panels were made of a highly flammable material that not only catches fire fast but emits a toxic gas that spreads fire faster through the air, which is what made this fire spread and grow as intensely as it did. Additionally, the building did not have emergency exits or any methods to stop the fire such as fire extinguishers, leaving wedding guests only two doors out and no way to protect themselves. The main cause of death for most of those who passed away was either asphyxiation or physical burns, with many also being crushed or trapped after the ceiling completely collapsed. 

Aside from immense sorrow from people affected directly, the tragedy has also garnered attention and sympathy worldwide. The city of Qaraqosh is a small Iraqi Christian town that has only recently begun repopulating after the Islamic State moved into northern Iraq in 2014 and pushed many Christian communities out. Despite this Assyrian Christian region being a minority in the Arab world and in the rest of Iraq, Iraqi and Arab communities have come together in support of the survivors and families afflicted, with thousands of people reportedly donating blood immediately after the tragedy. 

To many, this unfortunately is just the most recent disaster to come from Iraq’s highly criticized authority and governance, as the wedding hall had previously been discovered to not meet safety requirements but was allowed to stay open by the city’s mayor. After the fire started, witnesses also claim it took more than 30 minutes for authorities to respond to the scene. The Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani immediately opened an investigation into the fire which has since led to the arrests of at least 14 people, one of which being the owner of the hall who attempted to flee, and three of the people who had lit the fireworks. While these arrests bring some justice, many feel that this incident could have been prevented with the right systems in place, like Esho Bahnam Kahak, the father of the groom: “We know the reason is the owner of the hall and the officials who allowed the construction of a hall where there were no safety measures and no fire extinguishers (…) It’s greed and negligence and corruption that killed all those innocent people.”