About 100 people were killed when a fire broke out during a wedding at an event hall in the northern Iraqi town of Hamdaniyah.

 According to an initial tally released early Wednesday, more than 150 people were injured.



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AFP says ambulances arrived with sirens blaring and dozens of people gathering in the courtyard to donate blood at the main hospital in Hamdaniyah.

  People were also seen gathering in front of the open doors of a refrigerated truck carrying several black body bags.

 Iraqi press agency INA reported, "have counted 100 dead and more than 150 injured in the fire at a marriage hall in Hamdaniyah", citing a "preliminary tally".

Further, civil defense authorities reported the presence of prefabricated panels that were "highly flammable and contravened safety standards" inside the event hall where the blaze took place.

"The fire caused some parts of the ceiling to fall due to the use of highly flammable, low-cost construction materials," the statement said.

"Preliminary information indicates that fireworks were used during a wedding, which triggered a fire in the hall."

Additionally, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani called on the health and interior ministers to "mobilise all rescue efforts" to help the fire victims.

According to the ministry of health, "medical aid trucks" had been sent from Baghdad and other provinces to the area, and its personnel in Nineveh had been activated to care for the injured.