A bride and groom whose wedding ended in a deadly fire in Iraq have decided they can’t stay in the town where it happened. Revan and Haneen lost 25 relatives when flames tore through their wedding hall in 2023.
When Revan was 27, and Haneen, 18, they got married. It was on September 26, 2023, in Qaraqosh, a mostly Christian town in northern Iraq. It was meant to be the happiest day of their lives. About 900 guests came to celebrate with them.
Then a fire broke out in the hall, and more than 100 people died, including 25 members of the couple’s families.
A video from the night shows the couple slow dancing while sparks from indoor fireworks climbed to the ceiling. Then burning pieces began to fall on the guests. People screamed and ran for the exits. Revan grabbed his bride and dragged her toward the kitchen door. Haneen couldn’t run in her wedding dress, and in the panic people trampled her.
“Inside, we’re dead”
Days later, the couple sat down with Sky News. Haneen stayed silent beside her husband. She had lost 10 relatives, including her mother and brother. Revan had lost 15, including his own mother.
“It’s true that we’re sitting here in front of you alive,” Revan said. “But inside, we’re dead. We are numb.” Then he explained their decision. They would leave their hometown. “We can’t live here anymore,” Revan said. “Every time we try to have some happiness, something tragic happens to us, so it’s best for us to leave.”
The reports say the couple decided to move away. They don’t say anything about the marriage itself.
What really caused the fire
Investigators said the indoor fireworks set cheap, flammable ceiling decorations alight. According to AFP, the hall’s owner mistook the fire for a short circuit and cut the power, leaving the hall in darkness as guests tried to get out.
Revan sees it differently. He said there was only one fire extinguisher in the hall, and that it didn’t work. He believes shortcuts at the venue were to blame. Fourteen people were arrested, including the owner of the hall. In December 2024, a court sentenced him to 10 years in prison for negligence. AFP put the final death toll at 134.
Some relatives of the victims said it wasn’t enough. “No Christian finds solace in this verdict,” said a man who lost six relatives.
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