Search for Survivors Continues at Collapsed Shia Muslim Shrine in Iraq
The bodies of at least four people have been recovered from the rubble of a Shia Muslim shrine in Iraq following a landslide. A fifth body was said to be recovered late on Sunday from the site, Qattarat al-Imam Ali shrine, in Najaf, some 150 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. The search for survivors is continuing.
Between six and eight people were believed to have been trapped under the rubble of an earthen mound adjacent to the shrine, said Iraqi Civil Defense Directorate spokesman Nawas Sabah Shaker. Three children were rescued from the rubble after the collapse and were said to be in good condition.
The Iraqi Health Ministry said that six people with various injuries have been rescued.
Pilgrims had gathered at the shrine during the Shia Muslim holy month of Muharram. The shrine is located in a natural depression, AFP reported. The collapse of the shrine occurred because the rocks and sand surrounding it, saturated due to humidity, began to slide.