Fire at wedding in Iraq kills at least 100, injures 150

At least 100 people have been killed and 150 people injured in a fire at a wedding celebration in the district of Hamdaniya in Iraq’s Nineveh province, Iraqi state media have reported, with local sources saying the toll was expected to rise.

The fire ripped through a large events hall in the north-eastern region after fireworks were lit during the celebration, state media said.

Video from a Reuters correspondent at the site showed firefighters clambering over the charred wreckage of the building in search of survivors.

Preliminary information indicated that the building was made of highly flammable construction materials, contributing to its rapid collapse, state media said.

Ambulances and medical crews were dispatched to the site by federal Iraqi authorities and authorities in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, according to official statements.