A wedding party in Oyoun, Kuwait, turned into one of the country’s worst tragedies on August 15, 2009. What was meant to be a joyous celebration quickly became a nightmare when a massive fire broke out, killing 57 people and injuring around 90 others within minutes.
The groom, 36-year-old Zayed Zafira, was marrying his second wife on that day. In Kuwait, men are permitted to have more than one wife. His first wife, 23-year-old Nasra Yussef Mohammad al-Enezi, was not present at the party. Zayed and Nasra had married when she was still a teenager, and they had two children together, both with disabilities.
Following traditional customs, men and women celebrated separately. All the women and children gathered in a large tent near the groom’s family home. According to police reports and eyewitness accounts, Nasra arrived at the wedding tent carrying petrol she had purchased at a gas station. Her maid witnessed Nasra pouring the fuel around the tent and then fleeing just before the fire started.
The tent had only one exit and lacked basic fire safety measures, which turned it into a deadly trap. The temperature inside soared to over 500 degrees Celsius, causing catastrophic damage.
Why would Nasra do something so terrible? Police apprehended her the following day. Initially, she admitted to starting the fire, stating that she wanted to take revenge on her husband for marrying another woman and on his sisters for ruining her life. However, she claimed her intention was only to disrupt the party, not to harm anyone.
When her trial began in October 2009, Nasra recanted her confession, alleging that police had coerced her by threatening her. Most of the victims were women and children, including some from Saudi Arabia and others without citizenship. Many of the bodies were badly burned, requiring DNA tests and dental records for identification.
Notably, the new bride was not in the tent during the fire and escaped unharmed.
In November 2009, the court ordered a mental health evaluation for Nasra after her lawyers reported she had been struggling with psychological issues since childhood. Similar to other shocking cases where disturbing personal histories emerge, the court sought to determine whether her mental state influenced her actions.
Over time, Nasra changed her story yet again. She claimed she had poured special cursed water—a magical spell—on the tent rather than petrol. She also alleged that she became pregnant in jail but lost the baby after being forced to take pills administered by a prison staff member related to her husband.
Despite the conflicting accounts, Nasra was found guilty in March 2010 of planning the murder of 57 people and deliberately setting the fire. She was sentenced to death. This ruling marked a significant moment, as it was the first time Kuwait’s highest court authorized the death penalty for a woman.
After several years of appeals, Nasra was executed by hanging at Central Prison on January 25, 2017, at the age of 26.
https://wegotthiscovered.com/true-crime/groom-takes-a-second-wife-so-his-first-wife-shows-up-at-his-wedding-what-she-did-next-killed-57-people-in-three-minutes/