In a tragic turn of event, as many as 35 Pakistani pilgrims have died and 18 have been injured after a bus overturned at a checkpost in Iran’s Yazd as reported by the DawnNews. The incident happened Tuesday night in the central Iranian province of Yazd. The pilgrim was reportedly on the way to commemorate Arbeen, which marks the 40th day following the death of a Shiite saint in the 7th century.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, expressed condolences to the families of the victims and said that he is “gravely concerned about the safety and welfare of injured pilgrims.”
“I have given instructions to our Ambassador in Tehran to ascertain the exact situation and provide swift medical relief and recovery services, as well as arrange the repatriation of dead bodies to Pakistan,” he stated in a post on X.
Reported and Real Death Toll
According to Iranian Media news, as many as 28 people have lost their lives but the Pakistani Media report 35 people have died. The Pakistani media quoted a local shitte leader, Qamar Abbas, highlighting as many as 35 people have died in the crash.
Iran’s Safety Records
Iran has one of the world’s worst traffic safety records with some 17,000 deaths annually.The high death toll is attributed to widespread neglect of traffic regulations, dangerous vehicles, and insufficient emergency services in remote rural areas. The pilgrims were en route to Iraq to observe Arbaeen.
