A large Christian wedding party attended by more than 1,000 guests in Nineveh province turned from a joyous celebration into a tragic nightmare after a deadly fire engulfed the hall in the predominantly Christian district of Al Hamdaniyah.
The fire started shortly before midnight on Tuesday when sparklers were lit as the bride and groom prepared for their slow dance.
Within seconds, the ceiling of the hall caught fire and trapped the guests inside.
Iraqi authorities put the death toll at 113, with some of the victims burned alive, some died of suffocation, and others from the stampede.
About 150 others died from injuries.
The Prime Minister led a delegation of ministers and security officials to visit the injured victims at two local hospitals and ordered those in critical condition to be sent abroad for treatment.
Hundreds joined a large funeral procession held in Hamdaniya as people continued searching for their loved ones, while others rushed to donate blood in overwhelmed hospitals.
