One week after the Iraq wedding fire, here is what has happened
The Word | Oct. 4, 2023
After a fire tore through an Assyrian wedding in the Assyrian-dense Bakhdida in Iraq’s north, shock gripped the community—both at home and abroad. One week later, families are still seeking answers. Here is a rundown of announcements, numbers and disputes made public so far.
The death toll reached 119, according to officials.
The Nineveh health directorate said in a statement Wednesday 119 have died from the fire. According to the directorate, 20 of the injured are being treated out of the country.
Eight were buried at a funeral in Bakhdida Tuesday, according the the nonprofit Shlama Foundation, one of several organizations providing medical supply on the ground. The organization said the victims died in hospitals.
Assyrian nonprofits have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Between several nonprofits, around $600,000 have been raised. Assyrian organizations, including Shlama Foundation, Etuti Institute, Assyrian Aid Society and Nineveh Rising, among others, are leading fundraising efforts to cover medical expenses and long-term financial needs for victims and their families.
Iraq concluded its official investigation.
A government investigation determined the fire an “accident” in results announced Sunday. The results of the probe, ordered by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, were delayed by one day.
The fire “was accidental and unintentional, and there were shortcomings on the part of the owners of the wedding hall,” investigative committee head Saad Faleh Kassar Al-Dulaimi said in a press conference, according to the Iraqi News Agency.
Some religious leaders and community members have rejected the results of the investigation. In an interview with Rudaw, groom Revan Esho called for an “international investigation”. One Syriac Catholic Priest, Father Boutrous Sheeto, told the Associated Press “We reject the idea that the cause of the fire was an accident,” Sheeto said. “We are confident that it was intentional and therefore we demand an international investigation.” He reportedly provided no evidence.