Second day of funerals as Iraqi families bid wedding fire victims farewell | In Pictures News

Friends and family gathered in the Grand Immaculate Church in Hamdaniya, Iraq, to mourn those killed in a wedding hall fire on Tuesday night.

Burials continued on Thursday, with many victims having been buried a day before, as shocked families put their loved ones in their final resting places.

Hamdaniya, also known as Qaraqosh or Bakhdida, is a Christian-majority town in Iraq’s northern governorate of Nineveh.

The deadly blaze is said to have started when a firework display lit inside the wedding hall to mark the newlywed couple’s first dance.

The fire spread in seconds, with ceiling panels falling on guests as they rushed to the event hall’s main entrance, trying to get out. At least 93 people were killed.

Iraqi officials say an investigation into the fire is under way, while state media reported that arrest warrants had been issued for the owners of the wedding hall.

Attendees of the funeral expressed their distress and frustration towards local authorities.

More funerals are expected after other victims are identified.

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