Iraq road accident kills 16, mostly Iranian pilgrims

Pilgrims coming from different cities march during Arba’een walk to mark the 40th day after Ashura, commemorating the seventh century killing of Prophet Mohammed’s grandson, Imam Hussein and 72 people along with him, in Baghdad, Iraq on September 02, 2023. [Murtadha Al-Sudani – Anadolu Agency]

At least 16 people, mostly Iranian pilgrims, were killed in a deadly road accident in northern Iraq, according to local health authorities on Saturday, Anadolu reports.

Thirteen other people were seriously injured in the accident, Khaled Burhan, director of health services in Salaheddin province, said told the state news agency INA.

He said the accident took place when two min buses crashed into each other on a highway between the cities of Dujail and Samarra shortly before midnight on Friday.

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Thousands of Iranian pilgrims visit Iraq every year for Arbaeen, a major religious gathering for Shia Muslims.

The Arbaeen takes place 40 days after Ashura, the day famous for the tragic event of Karbala, when Hussain, the grandson of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad, was killed on October 10, 680.

Around 4,900 people were killed in road accidents in Iraq in 2022 due to poor transport infrastructure and non-compliance to road safety regulations by drivers, according to Iraqi estimates.

WATCH: Iraq: Shia pilgrims from across country march through desert to Karbala

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