Brake Failure Causes Fatal Bus Crash in Iran, Killing 28 Pilgrims
A tragic bus crash in central Iran has claimed the lives of at least 28 Shiite pilgrims from Pakistan, with 23 others injured, 14 of them seriously, according to Iranian officials. The accident occurred on Tuesday night in Yazd province, near the city of Taft, approximately 500 kilometers southeast of Tehran. The bus, carrying 51 passengers, overturned after its brakes reportedly failed, leading to the deadly incident.
Iranian state television showed images of the overturned bus with its roof crushed and debris scattered across the highway, as rescuers navigated through the wreckage. The passengers, all from Pakistan’s southern Sindh province, were on their way to Iraq to observe Arbaeen, a significant Shiite Muslim pilgrimage that marks the death of Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Hussein, at the Battle of Karbala.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the incident, offering condolences to the bereaved families and assuring that Pakistani diplomats were assisting those affected.
Iran has a notorious record for traffic accidents, with approximately 17,000 fatalities annually due to factors such as poor road safety, unsafe vehicles, and inadequate emergency services. A separate bus crash in Iran’s Sistan and Baluchistan province on Wednesday also resulted in six deaths and 18 injuries.
