Hundreds of mourners in southern Pakistan gathered to attend the funerals of 28 Shiite pilgrims who tragically lost their lives in a bus crash in Iran while en route to Iraq. The victims were laid to rest in various graveyards in the Sindh province, as confirmed by local Shiite leader Jaafar Hussain.
The bodies of the deceased were repatriated to Pakistan following orders from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, with a military aircraft transporting them back home. The solemn ceremonies took place in Sindh province, the home region of all the victims.
The cause of the fatal crash near Taft, located approximately 500 kilometers southeast of Tehran, remains undisclosed by authorities. Zawaar Javed, a grieving father, revealed that his son had sent him a message via WhatsApp moments before the accident, indicating that the bus's brakes had malfunctioned.
According to an Iranian emergency official, Mohammad Ali Malekzadeh, the crash was attributed to brake failure on the bus and the driver's lack of attention. The Pakistani pilgrims were en route to Karbala, Iraq, to observe Arbaeen, a significant event in Shiite Islam that marks the end of the 40-day mourning period following the death of Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad.
Hussein's demise occurred during the Battle of Karbala at the hands of Umayyad forces, a pivotal event in the early history of Islam. The tragic incident has deeply impacted the Shiite community in Pakistan and Iran, highlighting the risks and challenges faced by pilgrims undertaking religious journeys.
