No less than 50 individuals suffered from food poisoning at a wedding in Iraq’s northern Kirkuk province, reportedly due to spoiled food, as disclosed by local media.
The incident unfolded in the town of Hawija, located to the west of Kirkuk, the provincial capital.
Ziyad Khalaf, the provincial health chief, confirmed that some cases ranged from mild to severe, but all the affected individuals received the required medical attention at the hospital.
This occurrence took place just one day after a devastating fire tore through a wedding hall in a predominantly Christian town within Iraq’s northern Nineveh province, claiming the lives of 114 people and leaving over 200 injured.
The tragic event, occurring on a Wednesday, saw horrifying images of the wedding hall engulfed in flames, attributed by civil defense officials to illegal flammable cladding within the building.
In the aftermath of the fire, the wedding hall was reduced to charred debris, with only television cameras and witnesses’ phones providing illumination in the darkened space.
Saif al-Badr, a health ministry spokesman, assured that every effort was being made to assist those affected by this unfortunate accident, with the health department in Nineveh Province reporting the death toll at 114.
Survivors with various degrees of injuries were transported to regional hospitals, where they received care. Meanwhile, distressed family members crowded the hospitals, anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones.
Iraqi authorities cautioned that the death toll might increase, as a final tally of casualties remained pending.
At the time of this report, no official information had been released regarding the cause of the fire outbreak. Initial reports from the Kurdish television news channel Rudaw suggested that fireworks at the venue might have ignited the blaze.
Iraq’s Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, issued a statement online, ordering an investigation into the incident and entrusting officials from the interior and health ministries with the responsibility of providing relief.
| Peoples Gazette
