At least 16 people including Iranian pilgrims were killed in a road accident on Sunday in northern Iraq as millions visited the holy city of Karbala for Arbaeen, one of the world’s biggest religious gatherings.
The accident occurred between the Dujail and Samarra.
At least 13 people were injured in the accident, state news agency INA reported on Saturday, citing the death toll from Khaled Burhan, director of health services in Salaheddine province.
The details of the crash are still to be known, but most of the dead were Iranian pilgrims as told by Burhan. Injured were taken to hospitals, he added.
However, according to a medical official in Salaheddine— who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity — two minibuses crashed into each other shortly before midnight on Friday.
The official, citing witnesses, said that one of the drivers reportedly fell asleep at the wheel, citing witness accounts. He put the death toll at 18.
This year, 2.6 million pilgrims, many Iranian pilgrims, entered Iraq either by road or air since Arbaeen began, according to figures issued by the interior ministry on Friday.
The gathering marks the end of the 40-day mourning period for the killing of Imam Hussein (RA) – Shia Islam’s founding figure and grandson of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. This year it concludes on September 6 and 7.
According to health ministry data, road accidents killed more than 4,900 people last year in Iraq, an average of 13 per day.
Conflict, neglect, and endemic corruption have left oil-rich Iraq’s infrastructure, including roads and bridges, in disrepair. Officials also say speed and mobile phone use while driving contribute to crashes.
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