A bus accident in central Iran claimed the lives of 28 Pakistani Shiite pilgrims and injured 23 others, with 14 of the injured in serious condition, according to local officials. The crash occurred late Tuesday near the city of Taft, about 500 kilometers southeast of Tehran, in Yazd province. The passengers were en route to Iraq for the annual Arbaeen pilgrimage in Karbala.
Preliminary investigations suggest the accident was caused by a brake failure combined with driver negligence, officials said. The bus, which was carrying 51 passengers from the Pakistani city of Larkana, overturned on the highway, resulting in significant casualties. Images broadcast on Iranian state television showed the bus upside down with shattered windows and debris scattered across the road.
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Iranian authorities have reached out to Pakistan’s consular services to assist the affected families. “We express our sincere sympathy to the neighboring and brotherly government of Pakistan and the bereaved families,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani posted on social media. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed his sorrow, saying he was “deeply saddened” by the tragedy.
The pilgrims were on their way to commemorate Arbaeen, the 40th day of mourning for Imam Hussein bin Ali, a central figure in Shiite Islam. Millions of pilgrims travel to Karbala annually for the event, one of the largest public gatherings in the world.
In a separate incident on Wednesday, another bus crash in Iran’s southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan province resulted in six deaths and 18 injuries.