Pakistan bid a solemn farewell to twenty-eight Shia pilgrims who lost their lives in a devastating bus crash in Iran while enroute to Iraq for a pilgrimage to commemorate Arbaeen, the end of the annual 40-day mourning period following the death of Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Hussein. The tragic incident occurred near the city of Taft, approximately 310 miles southeast of Tehran, and the cause of the crash remains unknown. According to Iranian emergency officials, the accident was attributed to the failure of the bus brakes and lack of attention by the driver.
The Pakistani military swiftly airlifted the bodies from Iran to Jacobabad, a city around 625 miles southwest of Islamabad, where a solemn ceremony was held. The coffins, draped in Pakistan’s national flag, were handed over to the victims’ relatives for burial, amidst an emotional atmosphere filled with weeping and hugging as they mourned the loss of their loved ones, all from Pakistan’s southern Sindh province. The incident has sent shockwaves across Pakistan and Iran, and sadly, it is not the first tragic incident involving pilgrims traveling between the two countries.
Pakistan Mourns 28 Shia Pilgrims Lost in Tragic Bus Crash in Iran (Image via Getty)
The accident serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of road safety and the need for improved traffic regulations and emergency services in both Pakistan and Iran. Iran has one of the world’s worst traffic safety records, with over 17,000 deaths annually attributed to reckless driving, unsafe vehicles, and inadequate emergency services in its vast rural areas. The incident has brought attention to the dire need for improvement in road safety measures and emergency services in both countries.
Funerals are currently being held in Pakistan for the victims, and the nation is mourning the loss of twenty-eight innocent lives. The Pakistan government’s swift action in retrieving the bodies and conducting a solemn ceremony has been widely praised by the nation, and the government’s efforts to bring back the remains of the victims in such a short span of time are being hailed as a great achievement, bringing a sense of closure to the grieving families.
