A tragic bus accident in Iran has claimed the lives of at least 28 Pakistani pilgrims, with another 23 passengers injured, some critically. The bus, carrying pilgrims from Sindh province in Pakistan to Iraq’s holy city of Karbala, overturned in the central Iranian province of Yazd on Tuesday night.
According to Iranian state media, the crash was caused by a defective braking system, as reported by Reuters citing a preliminary police investigation. The bus caught fire near the Dehshir-Taft checkpoint, around 681km south of Tehran, leading to a devastating loss of life.
Among the deceased are eleven women and seventeen men, with the injured being rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment. The pilgrims were on their way to commemorate a significant event in the Shia calendar, the Arbaeen pilgrimage marking the end of a 40-day mourning period for Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari has pledged to repatriate the bodies of those killed and provide aid to the injured, while Interior Minister Moshin Naqvi expressed deep sorrow over the tragic accident. The Pakistani consulate in Iran is working closely with local authorities to assist in recovery efforts.
This heartbreaking incident sheds light on Iran’s poor traffic safety record, with an alarming rate of around 20,000 deaths annually due to accidents. As the families of the victims mourn their loss, efforts are underway to ensure the safe return of the bodies and provide support to those affected by this devastating tragedy.
