Dozens of Iranian pilgrims killed, wounded in traffic accident in Iraq

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi health authorities on Monday confirmed that 18 Iranian pilgrims had been killed, and about 20 more injured in a terrible traffic accident that occurred in the province of Wasit.

The incident took place on the Badra-Kut road as Iranian pilgrims were returning home after taking part in the Arba’een ceremony in the holy city of Karbala.

The Wasit Health Department in a statement said that 18 Iranian visitors died while 20 were injured after their bus collided with another minibus.

Among the victims were women and children.

In addition to the pilgrims, an Iraqi driver died in the accident.

Local police said they had taken the bodies to the local forensic department, while those who were injured were flown back home after being treated by Iraqi medical teams.

Over the past few days, ten other Iranians died in similar accidents near Baghdad, Wasit, Basra, and other areas.

Iranian authorities on Sunday stated that over 1.8 million pilgrims have traveled to the neighboring country of Iraq to perform the annual Shia religious ceremony in Karbala, mostly through the border crossings.

Every year, Iraq hosts over two million Iranian pilgrims for Arba’een. It is a major Shia event marking the end of 40 mourning days after Ashura.

The pilgrimage marks the martyrdom in 680 of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Mohammad, who refused to accept the leadership of the “usurper,” Caliph Yazid, and was massacred along with his followers at Karbala.

Iraqi officials have often called on local and cross-border visitors not to stay in Karbala for a long time to give visitors a chance to visit the holy shrine of Imam Hussein.

Editing by Nadia Riva