Terrifying new footage shows wedding fire that killed 100 people ripping through venue after erupting during first dance
HAUNTING footage captured the moment a deadly fire erupted at an Iraq wedding as the newlywed couple enjoyed their first dance.
Bride Haneen and groom Revan are seen smiling as they sway sweetly, just seconds before their big day turns into a fatal disaster.
An elaborate indoor fireworks display began as the pair slow danced, which investigators believe sparked the horror blaze that ripped through al-Haitham Hall in Qaraqosh on Tuesday.
Officials announced that 98 people had been confirmed dead while more than 100 were injured and suffered serious burns.
The newlyweds were also feared to have perished in the inferno, but it has since emerged that they survived after reportedly escaping through a kitchen door.
They suffered minor burns and lost a number of close relatives, a friend of the couple told AFP.
“The bride lost her whole family – three brothers, all of her uncles and her young cousins. The groom lost his mother,” Jamil al-Jamil said.
Now further video of the moment when a ferocious fire began to devour the ceiling of the venue, leaving guests fleeing for their lives, has surfaced.
Crowds of partygoers were watching Haneen and Revan begin their first dance just after 10pm when an array of fireworks were set off.
The guests were initially wowed by the lavish pyrotechnics display, until burning debris began to rain down on them seconds later.
The couple were seen clutching each other in shock as their slow dance was abruptly interrupted by the flaming cinders falling.
People were seen ducking for cover, racing towards the exits and panickedly glancing around to find their loved ones.
Another clip shows how the fireworks appeared to set a humungous chandelier alight which hovered over the heads of seated guests.
Eyewitnesses described how the entire ceiling was engulfed in flames “in seconds” while thick smoke began to fill the room.
“There were around 1,000 to 1,100 guests. The wedding was going well,” one man told Iraqi Kurdish news agency Rudaw.
“During the slow dance, one of the fireworks hit the roof.
“The ceiling caught fire suddenly and it spread everywhere because it was all made of sandwich panels, vinyl sheets and fabric.
“Everything caught fire and started falling on people’s heads. Nobody was able to get out”.
Further footage shows the ceiling in the banquet hall collapsing onto the dance floor that was previously brimming with guests.
The power at the venue then went off, making many escape routes more difficult to reach.
Ghaly Nassim, 19, told the BBC how he rushed back towards the danger to try and help free five of his trapped friends.
He explained: “One door was blocked, so we opened it by force. Massive flames came out of the hall. It was like Hell’s doors opened.
“The temperature was unbearable. I cannot describe the extreme heat.”
Hundreds of men, women and children rushed towards the exit, but many were overcome by the flames before they could escape.
The tragic incident has plunged Iraq’s Nineveh province into mourning as more bodies continue to be recovered from the scorched skeleton of the wedding venue.
Several funerals for victims have already begun to take place while survivors continue to recover from horror burns in hospital.
Heartbreaking pictures of grieving loved ones gathered to say goodbye to those who were killed provide an insight into the agony which has rocked the community.
At a packed memorial service at the Al-Tahira Church on Wednesday, a priest told mourners: “Nothing is up to standard in this country.
“We have to hold those who are responsible accountable. Enough, enough”.
The bride and groom were among those gathered in sorrow on Thursday after both received treatment in hospital.
Video shared on social media appeared to show Revan breaking down as he sobbed while another man propped him up from behind.
Other attendees have been left searching hospitals for their relatives.
Investigators are still working to determine an official cause for the deadly inferno, although it is believed the fireworks were responsible.
The Civil Defence Directorate said that the venue was covered with highly flammable metal composite panels, which is illegal in Iraq.
The fire led to the collapse of parts of the hall as a result of the use of combustible, low-cost building materials that collapse within minutes when the fire breaks out, the authority said.
Officials announced ten employees of the wedding venue have been arrested, including its owner and three people involved with the fireworks display.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has ordered a thorough investigation into the wedding gone wrong.
He called for “the toughest punishments permitted by law for those responsible for negligence or failings that led to this tragic fire”.
The government have ordered strict inspections of hotels, schools, restaurants and event venues to check safety standards.
One owner of al-Haitham Hall, Chonny Suleiman Naboo, told AP that an electrical fault was to blame for the fire that killed nearly 100.
He denied that the venue had neglected safety procedures.