12 Iranians among 19 killed in Iraq road accident
At least 19 people, including 12 Iranian pilgrims, were killed in a road accident in northern Iraq as millions of people converge on the holy city of Karbala for Arbaeen, one of the world’s biggest religious gatherings.
The accident, which occurred on Friday night between the cities of Dujail and Samarra in Iraq’s Salaheddine Province, has also left at least 13 people injured, according to IRNA.
Twelve Iranian nationals, four Afghans and three Iraqis have been killed in the tragic incident, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said on Saturday.
The incident occurred after two minibuses crashed into each other shortly before midnight on Friday, a medical official in Salaheddine told AFP, on condition of anonymity, because he was not authorized to speak to the press.
One of the drivers is believed to have fallen asleep at the wheel, the official said, citing witness accounts.
Road accidents killed more than 4,900 people last year in Iraq, an average of 13 per day, according to the country’s Health Ministry data.