Wedding venues shuttered in Akre for safety violations

DUHOK, September 28 — Authorities in Akre shut down two wedding halls on Thursday citing safety violations after the deadly fire at a venue in Hamdaniya that killed 114 and injured 150 guests.

The move follows the closure of two other wedding halls in Akre, leaving couples with no place in town to celebrate their nuptuals.

Duhok’s Civil Defense Directorate also issued a directive that banned the use of fireworks inside halls and mandated the creation of three emergency exits in all facilities across the governorate. Additionally, two other halls were closed down by a specialized committee for failing to adhere to safety measures.

In accordance with the Duhok Civil Defense’s guidelines, fireworks and sparklers are now prohibited in event halls, theaters, hotel banquet halls, nightclubs, private gardens, and tourist landmarks.

An official in the Akre District Administrative Office told 964: “We closed down two event halls in Akre district today and fined each hall 500,000 Iraqi dinars for not complying with safety measures.”