Memorial events held in Baghdede and Nohadra on second anniversary of tragedy that claimed more than 130 lives

_{Commemoration of wedding hall fire victims in Baghdede, organized by the Bethnahrin Patriotic Union}

BAGHDEDE / NOHADRA — On September 26, 2023, a devastating fire broke out during a wedding celebration in the town of Baghdede, Nineveh Plains, killing over 130 Assyrian-Chaldean-Syriacs and injuring around 200 more. Two years later, the community has come together once again to honor the martyrs of this tragedy.

The Beth Nahrain Patriotic Union (Huyodo Beth Nahrain Athroyo, HBA) organized a memorial evening in Baghdede, marked by a candlelight procession through the streets. Hundreds of residents, party members, and supporters carried candles and banners displaying the faces of the victims.

In Nohadra (Duhok), the Bethnahrin Progressive Youth hosted a solemn service at the Shrine of Divine Mercy. Attendees lit candles, observed a moment of silence, and expressed condolences to the families of the victims. Organizers stressed that remembering the martyrs is both a moral and national duty, binding the community to secure a stable future in their ancestral homeland of Beth Nahrin.

The Baghdede Cultural Forum also hosted a memorial under the slogan “Our Existence Continues through the Blood of Our Martyrs.” The evening included prayers, poetic elegies, and a moving speech by survivor Yohanna Kahk, who highlighted the suffering of victims and the resilience of the injured.

According to official Iraqi reports, the fire spread rapidly after the hall’s ceiling, built with highly flammable materials, caught fire and collapsed. Toxic smoke, a blocked and narrow exit, and lack of ventilation further worsened the death toll.

For the Assyrian-Chaldean-Syriac people, the Baghdede fire remains a profound wound, added to the collective traumas of displacement and violence following the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq and the rise of ISIS in 2014.

Citation:
Source: SyriacPress – Beth Nahrin: Chaldeans-Syriacs-Assyrians commemorate martyrs of the 2023 Baghdede wedding hall fire