A tragic bus accident in Iran claimed the lives of at least 28 Pakistani pilgrims, according to reports from Iranian state media.
The incident occurred on Tuesday night in Yazd province, with preliminary investigations suggesting a faulty braking system as the cause.
The bus, which was en route from Pakistan’s Sindh province to Karbala, Iraq, for the Arbaeen pilgrimage, overturned and caught fire near the Dehshir-Taft checkpoint, about 681 km, 423 miles south of Tehran.
Among the 53 passengers onboard, including those from Larkana, Ghotki, and other Sindh cities, eleven women and seventeen men died.
The crash left 23 others injured, with seven in critical condition, reported Ali Malekzadeh, the province’s crisis management director.
He noted that the bus’s loss of control was due to a combination of high speed, driver unfamiliarity with the road, and technical issues.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari announced that the foreign ministry was working to repatriate the deceased and aid the injured.
Interior Minister Moshin Naqvi expressed deep sorrow over the incident, stating, “We are deeply saddened by the loss of precious human lives in the bus accident in Iran.”
The Pakistani consulate in Iran is involved in recovery efforts, and Ambassador Muhammad Mudassir Tipu is coordinating with Iranian authorities.
The pilgrims were traveling to Karbala for Arbaeen, a significant Shia pilgrimage marking the end of 40 days of mourning for Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.
This pilgrimage, which commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussein at the Battle of Karbala over a millennium ago, is a major event in the Shia calendar.
Arbaeen draws millions of pilgrims annually, with last year’s participation estimated at around 25 million, far surpassing the 2.5 million who attend Hajj in Mecca.
