A bus crash occurred in Iran killing at least 28 Pakistani pilgrims. The pilgrims were en route to Iraq to participate in the Arbaeen commemoration, one of the most important events in the Shiite Islamic calendar.
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The accident took place in the central province of Yazd approximately 681 kilometers south of Tehran near the Dehshir-Taft checkpoint. The incident occurred on Tuesday night as the bus was en route to the holy city of Karbala in Iraq.
Preliminary investigations by local traffic police have attributed the crash to a defective braking system. Additionally factors such as high speed, the driver’s unfamiliarity with the road and other technical issues with the vehicle may have contributed to the loss of control and overturning of the bus.
The crash has claimed the lives of 28 passengers including 11 women and 17 men. Of the 53 passengers on board, 23 others were injured with 14 in critical condition.
The injured were transported to local hospitals, where seven remain in critical condition, while six others have been discharged after receiving medical care.
The passengers on board were pilgrims from Pakistan’s Sindh province traveling to Iraq’s Karbala to participate in the Arbaeen commemoration.
Arbaeen, one of the important events in the Shia Muslim calendar, the end of a 40-day mourning period for Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was martyred in the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD.
Arbaeen is the world’s largest annual pilgrimage with millions of Shia Muslims from around the globe converging on Karbala to honor Imam Hussein.
The pilgrimage is a demonstration of devotion with many pilgrims undertaking the journey by foot from Najaf, where Imam Ali, the father of Imam Hussein is buried to Karbala.
In 2023, the Arbaeen pilgrimage saw the participation of around 25 million pilgrims surpassing the Hajj to Mecca which had about 2.5 million participants.
All the passengers were Pakistani nationals from Larkana in the southern Sindh province. The pilgrims were traveling through Iran heading to Iraq to participate in the Arbaeen pilgrimage, an event that draws millions of Shiite Muslims from around the world.
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Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the loss of lives and assured that Pakistani diplomats were assisting the affected families.
Iran has a poor road safety record with approximately 17,000 traffic-related deaths annually.
Arbaeen, which translates to forty in Arabic, is 40 days after the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.
The event commemorates Hussein’s death in the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD, an event that deepened the Sunni-Shiite divide.
Millions of pilgrims converge in Karbala, Iraq for Arbaeen and making it one of the largest annual religious gatherings globally.
Iran and Pakistan have a tradition of religious pilgrimages with many Pakistani Shiites traveling through Iran to reach holy sites in Iraq.
These journeys are often fraught with challenges including long travel times and the potential for accidents on poorly maintained roads.
State television broadcasted images of the accident, showing the overturned bus with damage.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. Early reports from Iran’s traffic police indicate that mechanical failure, specifically the bus’s braking system was a primary factor in the accident.
Earlier on the same day another bus crash in Iran’s southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan province killed six people and injured 18.
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