A bride and groom made a heartbreaking confession after their wedding ended in tragedy.
A couple’s wedding day should be one of the happiest days of their life, but for Haneen and Revan their special day ended in over 100 people dying and at least 150 being injured.
Following the devastating disaster, the newlyweds have spoken to the press.
Haneen and Revan’s wedding day took a horrifying turn when a fire began during their ceremony at a banqueting hall in the Christian town of Qaraqosh in the Nineveh province of northern Iraq.
The event, which around 900 guests attended, was interrupted by a fire between 10 and 10:45 p.m., during which the newlyweds took to the floor to dance while people gathered around to watch.
Initial reports stated that the fire started due to fireworks, however, groom Revan believes the fire somehow began in the ceiling, telling Sky News: “It could be a short circuit, I don’t know. But the fire started in the ceiling.
“We felt the heat… When I heard the crackling I looked at the ceiling. Then the ceiling, which was all nylon, started to melt. It only took seconds.”
Revan said two small fireworks were lit when the couple began dancing, followed by four more a few moments later.
When the wedding was being planned, the groom’s father had expressed concerns over the risks of using fireworks in the venue.
He was worried firework sparks could land on the bride and groom and ‘catch fire,’ but the hall’s owners allegedly said the fireworks were electric so ‘you could put your hand or even plastic [on it] and it won’t burn.’
When those in attendance at the wedding realized a fire had broken out people began to ‘scream’ and ‘run away.’
Revan recounted: “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.”
He alleges only one fire extinguisher was in the event hall and claims it ‘didn’t work.’
Attendee Nirvan, who managed to escape, told The Media Line: “The fire was sudden, and rapidly consumed the ceiling almost completely.
“My wife got injured during the ensuing stampede. Civil Defense arrived over half an hour late and couldn’t handle all the wounded.”
The newlyweds reportedly managed to escape the fire by fleeing through a kitchen door, but sadly many of their loved ones perished in the fire.
Bride Haneen lost 10 of her relatives in the tragedy, including her mother and brother. Her father was also in critical condition.
The Civil Defence Directorate told the Iraqi News Agency that the banquet hall was covered with highly flammable composite panels, which would violate safety regulations.
The directorate said (per The Independent): “The fire led to the collapse of parts of the hall as a result of the use of highly flammable, low-cost building materials that collapse within minutes when the fire breaks out.”
Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari said a preliminary investigation found the blaze was ’caused by fireworks, which led to the roof burning heavily and collapsing on the citizens,’ reports INA.
According to the BBC, 14 people were arrested following the fire, including four people involved with setting off the fireworks. Some of them have now been released.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani demanded ‘the toughest punishments permitted by law for those responsible for negligence or failings that led to this tragic fire.’
He also ordered all relevant authorities to intensify building inspection and verifications of safety procedures at public venues such as shopping centers, restaurants, and hotels.
The heartbroken couple, who were forced to bury their family and friends, including young children, told Sky News they can no longer live in their hometown.
Haneen has been so affected by the events of September 2023 that she’s been unable to speak.
Revan said: “That’s it, we can’t live here anymore. I mean, 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.
“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.”
