For many couples, their wedding day is the happiest moment of their lives. But for Haneen and Revan, their special day turned into an unimaginable nightmare that will haunt them forever.
On the night of their wedding, which was attended by around 900 guests, tragedy struck during the celebration at a banquet hall in Qaraqosh, a Christian town in northern Iraq’s Nineveh province.
The fire started unexpectedly while the couple danced together, surrounded by friends and family. What should have been a joyful moment quickly turned into chaos and heartbreak.
The flames erupted between 10:00 and 10:45 p.m. and spread rapidly through the ceiling of the hall. ”We felt the heat… When I heard the crackling, I looked at the ceiling,” Revan said, describing the horrifying moment during an interview with Sky News. ”Then the ceiling, which was all nylon, started to melt. It only took seconds.”
Reports initially suggested the fire may have been caused by fireworks, but Revan believes the fire began in the ceiling, possibly due to an electrical short circuit. ”It could be a short circuit, I don’t know. But the fire started in the ceiling.”
As the flames grew, panic set in. Revan described the horrifying scene: ”People began to scream and run away. I grabbed my wife, and I began to drag her. I kept dragging her and trying to get her out of the kitchen entrance. As people were fleeing, people were trampling on her. Her legs are injured.”
The groom’s father had warned about the potential risks of fireworks during the wedding planning, expressing concern that sparks from the fireworks could land on the couple or guests. However, the venue’s owners reassured him that the fireworks were electric and posed no danger.
When the fire broke out, the situation escalated quickly. One fire extinguisher was available, but it failed to work. ”The fire was sudden, and rapidly consumed the ceiling almost completely,” said Nirvan, an attendee who managed to escape. ”My wife got injured during the ensuing stampede.”
Despite their desperate efforts to escape, Revan and Haneen managed to flee through a kitchen door. But tragically, many guests did not survive. Over 100 people died, and at least 150 were injured. Haneen lost 10 relatives in the fire, including her mother and brother. Her father was critically injured. The devastation left the newlyweds and their families forever scarred
The Civil Defence Directorate later revealed that the banquet hall’s ceiling was made of highly flammable composite panels, which violated safety regulations. The fire spread so quickly that parts of the building collapsed within minutes.
🔴 اللحظات الاولى لاندلاع النيران في قاعة الأعراس في قضاء الحمدانية في نينوى.#العراق #الحمدانية pic.twitter.com/x2GbZ0sx2R
— العراق برس (@aliraqplus) September 27, 2023
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A preliminary investigation suggested that the fireworks caused the fire, which led to the roof collapsing on the guests.
Following the tragedy, 14 people were arrested in connection with the incident, including four individuals involved in setting off the fireworks. Some have since been released, though the Iraqi government is determined to hold those responsible accountable. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani vowed to enforce the harshest penalties and increase safety inspections at public venues.
In the aftermath of this devastating tragedy, the heartbroken couple revealed their unbearable grief. The disaster meant they could no longer stay in their hometown.
”That’s it, we can’t live here anymore,” Revan told Sky News. ”Every time we try to have some happiness, something tragic happens to us and destroys the happiness. So, it’s best for us to leave.”
The trauma has taken a severe toll on Haneen, who has been unable to speak since the event, which occurred in 2023.
”It’s true that we’re sitting here in front of you alive. But inside we are dead. We are numb. We are dead inside,” Revan expressed, his words heavy with the weight of their loss.
The once joyous occasion has now left Haneen and Revan not only mourning the loss of their loved ones but also unable to ever return to the place that was supposed to mark the start of their new life together. The couple’s pain is immeasurable, and their journey forward will forever be marred by the tragic events of that night.
Life can be so inexplicably cruel. I can not even begin to imagine the horrible pain felt by the couple. This is one of the most tragic things I’ve ever heard of.
Fireworks really should never be set off inside a building — this tragedy shows why. I’ve honestly never seen someone in so much pain.
My heart breaks for her, and I just wish there was something I could do to ease her suffering. All we can do now is hope she finds the strength to heal, even though it’s unimaginable what she’s going through.
