A fire at a wedding tent in Kuwait has killed at least 41 women and children guests and injured 76 others, authorities said.
The fire lasted just three minutes, the fire department chief said today.
"It was a horrific scene with bodies and many shoes stuck to the ground at the only exit, they must have trampled over one another," said Brig. Gen. Jassem al-Mansouri, the day after the disaster.
He said Kuwaiti authorities were running DNA tests to identify the 35 women and six children killed in the fire, which left many victims unrecognisable.
Authorities were investigating the cause and al-Mansouri said it could have been faulty electrical wiring, a problem with the equipment used to keep the wedding food buffet warm or the coals used for burning incense.
He added that the fire in al-Jahra, a tribal area west of the capital, was the worst he has seen in his almost four decades of service in this small oil-rich state and close US ally.
Photographs of the scene show the tent was erected in an urban area. The interior was strewn with blackened debris, including the metal frames of chairs and tables, and burnt out air conditioners, a necessity in this hot country where night temperatures in the summer are often above 40 degrees Celsius.
Wedding parties are held separately for women and men, with children attending the women's event. The parties usually feature a catered buffet dinner as well as singing and dancing to Kuwaiti and Arabic music.
No alcohol is served in conservative Kuwait.
Al-Mansouri said 58 injured were still in hospitals, seven in serious condition with severe burns.
Events in tents should be licensed so that authorities approve the type of tent set up and ensure it has the necessary safety features, said the chief, adding that Saturday's event was not licensed.
The upholstery and the stuffing of the chairs used was also highly flammable, said al-Mansouri.
There has been talk of banning wedding tents altogether, though the structures are also used for election campaigns.
It was not clear if the bride survived or how many were in the tent when it caught fire. Al-Mansouri said the structure was 13 yards long and could have housed up to 180 people.
The government had opened a hot line and an information center for relatives of the victims, Kuwaiti state television said.
AP