In the town of Al-Hamdaniya in northern Iraq, fire crews were called to the scene and worked to put out the flames, rescue teams are working at the scene and continue to search for survivors in the ruins of the hall.
According to reports in the local media, the fire broke out after fireworks were lit inside the hall. A preliminary investigation shows that in the construction of the hall, highly flammable construction materials that are illegal in the country were used, - which led to the building quickly catching fire and collapsing in a short time due to the spread of the flames. According to estimates, hundreds of people were in the hall at the time of the disaster.
The injured who were rescued were transferred to local hospitals for treatment, suffering from burns and smoke inhalation - and many of them needed oxygen treatment. The spokesman for the Iraqi Ministry of Health said in a statement to the media that "every effort is being made to provide help to those affected by the unfortunate accident", and noted that aid trucks were sent from the capital Baghdad and other provinces.
Following the incident, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani ordered an investigation into the circumstances that led to the outbreak of the fire. "I urge the government offices to mobilize all rescue efforts to help the victims of this tragedy," he said. At the same time, the rescue teams warned that the number of dead is expected to continue to rise as the search progresses.
