28 Pakistani pilgrims killed in Iran bus accident

TEHRAN/SUKKUR: At least 28 people were killed and 23 others sustained serious injuries after a bus carrying Pakistani pilgrims met with an accident in Iran’s Yazd city. However, Pakistan’s state-run radio reported that 35 pilgrims have been killed and 15 others critically injured.

The bus, which had 53 passengers on board, met with the accident on Tuesday night. The police and rescue officials rushed to the scene and shifted the bodies and the injured to the hospital.

Crisis management director general of Yazd province, while talking to Iranian state TV, confirmed that 11 women and 17 men lost their lives in the accident, reported a British wire service. “Seven of the injured people are in critical condition and six injured people have now left the hospital,” he said, adding that Pakistan’s consular services in Iran have been invited to Yazd province to follow up on the accident.

Iranian traffic police have said that preliminary investigations reveal that the accident was caused by a technical defect in the bus braking system. Iranian media reported that the bus carrying Pakistani pilgrims overturned and caught fire near Taftan-Dehshir checkpoint. According to Maulana Qamar Abbas Naqvi, a member of a peace committee based in Larkana, said at least 30 people died on the spot, while five succumbed to their injuries at the hospital.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Mehr News Agency said emergency imposed in hospitals across the city to treat the injured. As per details received from sources earlier, the bus was carrying more than 50 passengers, including 14 women. Syed Athar Shamsi, the leader of the convoy which left from Larkana to participate in Arbaeen, said that the group of pilgrims were commuting in two buses. The bus moving ahead met with the accident, while the other one was left behind due to documentation related issues.

Speaking to Geo, Maulana Shah Murad Sharifi, a Qom seminary student hailing from Larkana, said that the pilgrims’ convoy comprised two buses carrying around 52 passengers each. Elaborating on the current situation, he said that apart from five to six people who suffered minor injuries, most of the passengers of the bus were in critical condition and were being treated in a local government hospital. When asked about what caused the fatal accident, Sharifi said he had heard people saying that the vehicle’s brakes had failed before the accident. The victims hailed from Khairpur, Larkana, Kashmore, Nawabshah, Shikarpur, Jamshoro and Karachi. Ambassador of Pakistan to Tehran Mudassir Tipu, meanwhile, said that the embassy officials had already left for Yazd city for better facilitation and coordination. The ambassador, on his X timeline, said that 28 Pakistani Zaireen died on Tuesday night while another 23 were injured. “I’m in touch with the Iran government and the office of Mayor of Yazd for crucial arrangements. We thank Iran for extending excellent cooperation,” he remarked.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has established a Crisis Management Unit to facilitate the repatriation of the Pakistani pilgrims’ bodies. The Foreign Office spokesperson expressed condolences and sympathies to the families of the deceased and said that on the instructions of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, the Consul of Pakistan in Zahidan was reaching the site of the accident and ascertaining the situation on the ground. “They will also coordinate with local authorities to provide medical relief to the injured and arrange repatriation of bodies to Pakistan, most of whom are residents of the Sindh province,” the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Ishaq Dar said that the Pakistan Embassy in Tehran was in constant touch with the Iranian authorities in Yazd city. He expressed his heartfelt condolences to the families of Pakistani pilgrims who lost their lives. “We are also gravely concerned about the safety and welfare of injured pilgrims,” he remarked. Dar said that he had instructed Pakistan’s ambassador in Tehran to ascertain the exact situation and provide swift medical relief and recovery services as well as arrange repatriation of bodies to Pakistan. “Our embassy is in constant touch with authorities in Yazd city. We thank the Iranian Government for their assistance and help,” he added.

Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari expressed his deep grief over the the incident. The president prayed to Allah Almighty for peace for the departed souls, early recovery of the injured and strength for the bereaved families to bear the loss. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed his deep grief over the loss of lives in the bus accident. “Deeply saddened by the loss of lives in a bus accident of Pakistani Zaireen near Yazd in Iran. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover at the earliest,” he said in a statement.

He also directed Pakistan’s embassy in Tehran to extend all possible assistance to the affected families and ensure medical treatment. He also asked the embassy to make arrangements for swift repatriation of the dead bodies of the pilgrims to Pakistan.

National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Deputy Speaker Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah, meanwhile, expressed their deep sorrow and grief over the loss of precious human lives in Yazd. In their separate messages, they said that they share the deep sorrow and grief of the bereaved families. Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader and National Assembly Opposition Leader Umar Ayub Khan have also separately expressed condolences and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured pilgrims.