Pope Francis Expresses Condolences with Families of Fire Victims in Iraq
Pope Francis, the leader of Catholics worldwide, expressed condolences with the families of victims of a fire in Iraq.
A major fire broke out in the Christian-populated area of “Hamdaniya” in Nineveh Province, Iraq, following which seven days of public mourning were declared.
The fire originated from a wedding hall located in the Hamdaniya area, caused by fireworks that led to the collapse of the hall’s roof and trapped the crowd inside. The wedding turned into mourning across Iraq, with the bride and groom also losing their lives in the fire. The fire has so far resulted in 120 deaths and 200 injured.
According to local authorities, Al-Hamdaniya Hospital did not have the capacity to receive the injured, and many of them were transferred to the provinces of Kirkuk, Erbil, and Baghdad. The number of injured was so large that hospitals were forced to issue blood donation appeals.
It is worth noting that the “Hamdaniya” area is a Christian-populated city in Nineveh Province, which Pope Francis visited two years ago during his trip to Nineveh, where he visited the Christians of that area and the churches destroyed by ISIS extremist militias. Pope Francis yesterday sent condolences to the survivors of the incident through the Vatican’s Foreign Ministry and expressed solidarity with Iraqi Christians.
According to a report by “Kurdistan 24,” Pope Francis in his condolence message emphasized patience and kindness toward one another during difficult circumstances.
