A collision between two minibuses in northern Iraq claims the lives of at least 18 people

A tragic accident in northern Iraq resulted in the loss of at least 18 lives, with the victims primarily being Iranian pilgrims, according to medical authorities on Saturday (September 2). The collision involved two minibuses and was described as a “terrible accident,” occurring between Dujail and Samarra, as reported by the state news agency INA. The director of health services in Salaheddin province, Khaled Burhan, provided this information.

The minibuses collided before midnight on Friday (August 31), leading to the death of 18 individuals and injuring 15 others, as stated by a medical official in Salaheddin, as reported by AFP.

According to witnesses, one of the drivers is believed to have fallen asleep at the wheel, as per the same source. Tragically, both drivers lost their lives in the incident, according to a representative from the local traffic authority.

Initial reports from INA indicated a death toll of 16 and 13 injured, revealing that the victims were Shiite Muslim pilgrims from Iran. Health officials further noted that on September 11 of the previous year, 11 Iranian Shiite pilgrims and their Iraqi driver lost their lives in a minibus collision with a truck in Babil province, south of Baghdad.

Every year, millions of Shiite pilgrims, many of whom come from Iran, journey to the holy shrine city of Karbala for Arbaeen, one of the world’s largest religious gatherings. Arbaeen signifies the conclusion of the 40-day mourning period for the killing of Imam Hussein, a key figure in Shiite Islam and the grandson of Prophet Mohammed, by the forces of Caliph Yazid in 680 AD.

As indicated by figures from Iraq’s interior ministry on Friday, over 2.6 million pilgrims have entered Iraq or crossed its borders by land since this year’s Arbaeen began.