Nearly 50 people missing from Hamdaniya wedding hall fire

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Rafat Sammo, the assistant of the Nineveh governor, told Kurdistan 24 on Wednesday that nearly 50 were missing in the Hamdaniya wedding hall fire.

Sammo explained that the majority of the victims were children who fell to their deaths after being trampled by the crowd when the fire began.

He also revealed that many of the victims disintegrated into ashes and were thus unidentifiable due to the immense fire.

Moreover, he emphasized that the Kurdistan Region had provided them with a great deal of assistance. "We face a difficult task in Mosul, especially since most of the hospitals were destroyed by ISIS during its reign," he stated.

According to Kurdistan 24 reporter Ari Hussein in Hamdaniya, 97 people have been killed in the Hamdaniya incident according to the latest statistics obtained by the Duhok Health Directorate. He also said that 50 of the victims had been buried in the cemetery, and another 47 were scheduled to be buried there tomorrow afternoon.

The fire broke out last night at 11:30 p.m., according to the Nineveh Court of Investigation.

Moreover, Kurdistan Regional Government Spokesperson Peshawa Hawramani announced on Wednesday that Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani has ordered three days of mourning in the Kurdistan Region due to the wedding hall fire in the Hamdaniya district.

Ankawa Governor's Office expressed their gratitude to the Kurdistan Region Prime Minister for offering help to the victims of the Hamdaniya incident.

The Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) in a statement on Wednesday announced the arrest of Sameer Sulaiman Krumi Rafo Asu, the owner of the wedding hall.

Read More: Hamdaniya wedding hall owner arrested: KRSC

The fire has reportedly killed more than 100 people so far and left 150 injured.

Read More: Deadly wedding fire: Kurdistan health teams deployed to Mosul