Halabja: Building where 200 lives were ended

Photo Gallery 11:59 AM - 2021-08-22

35 years have passed since two artillery shells hit a school building in Sirwan sub-district of Halabja during the Iraq-Iran war.

The bombing killed and injured a large number of civilians, all of whom were from villages surrounding Sirwan sub-district and used the building as a shelter. The area at that time was a battle field between the two countries.

How did the disaster happen? 

Ahmad Ali, a witness to the incident whose house was near the building, recounts to PUKmedia the minute that the incident happened.

"At that time, the people were aware of the time of the bombardment from the Iranian radio, so they were all trying to take refuge and hide. Two shells hit the building, which contained barrels of people's oil, a large fire broke out and a large number of people were burned. 182 people were killed on the first day," Ali said.

"A piece of the shells hit my, so I immediately ran to the building where the screams and shouting of children and women were coming," he added.

"I was shocked by what I saw and ran to the roof of a mosque and screamed out loud that shells hit the school and many people died and many came to the rescue. I saw the bodies of men and women burning with my own eyes," he continued.


Reporting and Photo Credit: Farhan Hama Khan
PUKmedia

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