Iran bus accident kills at least 28 Pakistani tourists

A bus carrying Pakistani tourists overturned in Iran, killing at least 28 passengers, Iranian state media reported.

The accident happened on Tuesday night in the central Iranian province of Yazd and was caused by a malfunctioning brake system, Reuters reported, citing a preliminary police investigation.

Another 23 passengers were seriously injured, 14 of them seriously, Pakistan’s ambassador to Iran Muhammad Mudassir Tipu told the BBC.

The pilgrims were walking from Pakistan’s Sindh province to Iraq’s holy city of Karbala to commemorate one of the biggest events in the Shia calendar.

Around 50 people are believed to have been on the bus when the accident happened, according to local media, including travelers from Larkana, Ghotki and Sindh towns.

11 women and 17 men are among those who died in the accident, according to the director in charge of problems Ali Malekzadeh.

The bus caught fire in front of the Dehshir-Taft checkpoint in Iran, 681 kilometers (423 miles) south of the capital Tehran, according to local media reports.

Mr Malekzadeh said the bus went off the road “because of the driver’s lack of control, ignorance of the road, high speed and technical problems”.

“A bus carrying 51 Pakistani travelers overturned and caught fire in front of the Dehshir-Taft checkpoint in central Yazd province on Tuesday night,” Iranian state television reported.

Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari said he is coordinating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to bring back the bodies of those who died in the accident and to provide assistance to the injured.

Meanwhile the Minister of Interior, Mohsin Naqvi, said: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of precious human lives in the bus accident in Iran.”

Pakistan’s embassy in Iran has been asked to assist in recovery efforts. Mr. Mudassir Tipu he said he was in contact with the Iranian government and local authorities in Yazd.

Iran is notorious for its poor road safety record, one of the worst in the world.

The UN’s road safety fund has an ongoing program looking at how Iran can improve its record.

This pilgrimage, known as Arbaeen (Arabic for the number 40), marks the end of the 40-day period of mourning for Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.

Iman Hussein died in the Battle of Karbala more than 1,000 years ago and this event still brings feelings of deep sorrow and grief to many believers.

Pilgrims from many parts of the world make their way to his tomb, buried beneath a golden sky.

The ancient city of Karbala comes to life during that time, decorated with bright garlands, flowers and bunting.

The Iraqis from Karbala are proud to welcome the pilgrims of Arbaeen – which shows the culture of hospitality.

In last year’s pilgrimage, about 25 million people participated, making Arbaeen the largest annual pilgrimage in the world.

In contrast, in the same year approximately 2.5 million pilgrims participated in the Hajj to Mecca.