AANES builds cinema to honor victims of Syria’s Amuda 1960 fire
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) announced Wednesday the launch of reconstruction efforts for Shahrazaz Cinema in Amuda, a town located 20 km to the east of the city of Qamishli in Northeast Syria.
The AANES announcement came in honoring the victims of the blazed cinema that occurred over 60 years ago.
Doreen Daqouri, Technical Supervisor at Amuda Municipality, affiliated with the AANES, stated that the project’s area exceeds 1,100 cubic meters and its costs $346,326.
Daqouri added that the first phase of the project will take six months to complete.
On Nov 13, 1960, about 500 school children were invited to watch the film Crime at Midnight to support the Algerian revolution, when a fire broke out in the projector first, spreading and resulting in the loss of over 200 children’s lives.
The cinema had four doors, which did not open during the outbreak of the fire, according to the testimonies of those who survived it.
The aforementioned movie “was not intended for children.” The incident remains a mystery until now, as it was not known whether the fire broke out due to a technical failure or a short circuit, or that it was intended.