The Iraqi bride and groom, whose wedding venue was hit by a blaze due to fireworks that killed over 100 people and injured dozens, cried out that they felt “dead inside”.
Christian newlyweds, 18-year-old Haneen and 27-year-old Revan, were enjoying a slow dance during their wedding in Qaraqosh, near Mosul, when the tragedy struck on Tuesday night, September 26.
Phone footage shows guests at dinner tables listening to music as flames billow from a large chandelier behind them.
Panicked the guests rushed to escape, shouting for the safety of their loved ones, as the room glowed red with flames spreading and decoration on the ceiling crumbling to dust.
As the fire spread and construction debris continued to fall from the ceiling, terrified guests scrambled towards the exit.
In an interview with Sky News, Revan revealed that his bride, Haneen, is “unable to speak” after the loss of 10 of her own family members, including her mother and brother. Her father remains critical.
The groom himself lost 15 family members in the tragic event.
Revan expressed the emotional impact of the tragedy, stating, “It’s true that we’re sitting here in front of you alive. But inside we are dead. We are numb. We are dead inside.”
Revan suspects that the fire ignited in the ceiling, possibly due to a short circuit.
He said, “It could be a short-circuit, I don’t know. But the fire started in the ceiling. We felt the heat… When I heard the crackling I looked at the ceiling. Then the ceiling, which was all nylon, started to melt. It only took seconds.”
Revan heroically saved his injured wife who struggled to walk due to her wedding gown, dragging her to safety amidst chaos and people inadvertently trampled on her.
The extent of their grief led them to the painful decision that they “can no longer live in their hometown.” Revan explained, “That’s it, we can’t live here anymore. I mean, every time we try to have some happiness, something tragic happens to us and destroys the happiness. So it’s best for us to leave.”
Watch: Iraqi groom and bride after deadly inferno
