Sameer Noel is still in shock after surviving a devastating fire that broke out at a wedding in Iraq on Tuesday night, killing more than 100 people.
He describes the ordeal as a "nightmare".
“I managed to get out but saw people with burns and their flesh was peeling off their bodies,” Mr Noel, 33, tells The National while standing in front of the burnt building.
"It was dark and people didn’t know where to go."
Hundreds of people were celebrating in the Qaraqosh area of Iraq’s Nineveh province when tragedy struck.
Also known as Hamdaniyah, Qaraqosh is a mainly Christian town just outside of Mosul, about 335km north-west of Baghdad. Many survivors said the building caught fire at about 10.45pm.
Mr Noel says it all happened in seconds.
"I was carrying a woman [whose limbs] had melted, she didn’t have legs or arms, and another girl who lost her head," he recalls.
More than 1,000 people attended the wedding, he adds.
Salam Karouni, 38, says bodies were burnt, along with the furniture and other things around them.
"Everything melted," he tells The National.
It is not known what started the fire but some reports suggest celebratory fireworks set it off.
Many of the survivors said the fire started as the bride and groom began their slow dance. The flames raced through plastic decorations, causing parts of the ceiling to catch fire and fall.
Flammable panels fuelled the blaze, officials said.
Arrests in Iraq after fire at wedding venue kills 100 - video
It remains unknown if the bride and groom were among those hurt.
Mr Karouni’s brother-in-law was killed during the blaze and his nine-year-old son was missing.
“We don’t know where he is, we have been searching for him in all hospitals,” he says, adding that his brother-in-law went back into the hall to try to save people, but died there.
People were waiting outside the building in distress, while others searched for the remains of loved ones underneath the rubble.
Hamdaniyah is home to mostly Christian Assyrians, who suffered when much of Iraq was overrun by ISIS between 2014 and 2017.
“Half of Hamdaniyah is gone,” Mr Karouni says, his voice breaking.
Among those injured was a 13-year-old boy, Daniel Wissam, whose arms were severely burnt.
His mother and baby sister also suffered severe burns and were being treated in Erbil city in the Kurdistan region.
Hameed Boutrous, 44, was sitting at the end of the hall.
The wedding couple were dancing when fireworks were set off, causing materials on the ceiling to catch fire and fall, he says.
“I managed to run out but came back inside. I couldn’t see anything as it was dark, we suffocated, most of the people went into the bathrooms and died from lack of air,” Mr Boutrous says.
“There was no emergency exit or water sprinklers in the hall. There has to be several exit doors, we don’t know who is responsible, we cannot blame anyone.
“This is a tragedy, we don’t know how many people have died. There are many people who are still missing, I don’t know if they are in Mosul or Erbil or lying between the dead bodies.”
Preliminary investigation showed that the building was made of highly flammable construction materials, contributing to its rapid collapse, state media said.
At Mar Youhanna church, where the wedding service took place before the evening party, deacon Hani Al Kasmousa said prayers for the dead would take place at the cemetery because there was not enough room in the church for so many mourners.
"Yesterday there was a wedding and happiness. Now we are preparing their burial," he said, new coffins stacked along an alleyway near his church.
Interior Ministry spokesman Saad Maan said that the primary forensic report described a “lack of safety and security measures” at the venue.
Iraqi security forces arrested nine workers at the venue as part of an investigation, said Gen Abdullah Al Jabouri, a security official who heads the Nineveh Operations Command.
The US offered its support following the incident.
"We do stand ready to support the government of Iraq and its people at this tragic time," said US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
Mr Miller described the incident as "horrific" and expressed sent "condolences" to the families of the victims.
When Pope Francis visited Qaraqosh in 2021, residents crowded the streets in bright clothes, holding olive branches as Assyrian hymns played on loudspeakers, to celebrate the locals' return after years of militant occupation.
Only about 300,000 Christians remain in Iraq after most of the 1.5 million who lived in the country fled during the chaos following the US-led invasion in 2003, an exodus aggravated by ISIS's seizure of towns in the Nineveh plains in 2014.
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Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
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THE CLOWN OF GAZA
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Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
more from Janine di Giovanni
Surianah's top five jazz artists
Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.
Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.
Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.
Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.
Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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THE SPECS
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Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)
Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
