Title: Iraq: Mourners Bury Their Victims and Demand Accountability After Wedding Fire

Calls for accountability have intensified today, Thursday, demanding that those responsible for a deadly fire at a wedding in an Iraqi Christian town be held accountable as mourners gathered for crowded burial ceremonies. More than 100 people lost their lives, and at least 150 others were injured on Tuesday evening in a fire that government officials stated occurred due to a lack of safety measures and the use of flammable materials in the building. In a sermon filled with the cries of women in black, a priest at the Al-Tahira church in Hamdaniya, also known as Qaraqosh, told mourners that Iraq is united in its sorrow but criticized officials for their "corruption and favoritism." He added, "There is nothing up to standards" in this country, emphasizing the necessity of "holding officials accountable."