Off The Record
After The Tragic Loss Of 100 Lives At Their Wedding, A Couple Makes A Devastating Confession
The wedding day is often the happiest day of a couple’s lives. However, Haneen and Revan’s beautiful day became an unthinkable horror that would always follow them.
Tragic events occurred at a banquet hall in Qaraqosh, a Christian town in the Nineveh province of northern Iraq, on the eve of their wedding, which was attended by some 900 guests.
Unexpectedly, the fire ignited as the couple danced together in front of friends and family. What ought to have been a happy occasion swiftly descended into mayhem and heartache.
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.”
During the wedding preparations, the groom’s father had issued a warning regarding the possible dangers of pyrotechnics, voicing worries that sparks might fall on the couple or visitors. He was persuaded by the venue’s owners, nevertheless, that the fireworks were harmless and electric.
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.”
Revan and Haneen tried desperately to escape, but they were able to get out through a kitchen door. Unfortunately, though, a large number of visitors perished. At least 150 individuals were hurt, and more than 100 people lost their lives. In the fire, Haneen lost ten family members, including her brother and mother. Her father suffered serious injuries. The newlyweds and their families were permanently damaged by the destruction.
Later, the Civil Defence Directorate disclosed that the banquet hall’s ceiling was composed of composite panels that were extremely combustible, in violation of safety rules. Within minutes, portions of the building collapsed due to the rapid spread of the fire.
According to an initial inquiry, the fire was started by fireworks, which caused the roof to collapse on the visitors.
Four people involved in setting off the pyrotechnics were among the 14 people arrested in connection with the incident after the disaster. Although the Iraqi government is committed to holding those involved accountable, several have since been freed. Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, the prime minister, promised to impose the strictest sanctions and expand safety checks at public spaces.
Following this tragic event, the devastated couple disclosed their indescribable sorrow. They were forced to leave their hometown due to the calamity.
”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.”
Haneen has suffered greatly from the trauma and has been unable to talk since the incident 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.
In addition to grieving the loss of their loved ones, Haneen and Revan are now unable to visit the location that was meant to be the beginning of their new life together. The couple is in excruciating anguish, and the terrible things that happened that night will always be a part of their future.
Inexplicably cruel things sometimes happen in life. The terrible suffering endured by the couple is beyond my comprehension. One of the saddest things I’ve ever heard about is this.
This tragedy demonstrates why it’s definitely not a good idea to light fireworks inside of buildings. To be honest, I’ve never witnessed someone in such agony.
I wish there was something I could do to lessen her suffering because I feel so bad for her. Even though what she is going through is unfathomable, all we can do at this point is hope she finds the strength to recover.
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