August 11, 2025 | 11:50 am
More than 600 Shia pilgrims in Iraq were hospitalized due to respiratory issues. They were treated after inhaling chlorine due to a leakage at a water treatment station, as reported by authorities cited from Al Arabiya. The incident occurred on Saturday night, August 9, on the route between two Shia holy cities, Najaf and Karbala, located in the central and southern parts of Iraq.
This year, millions of Shia Muslim pilgrims are expected to travel to Karbala, the site of the revered tombs of Imam Hussein and his brother Abbas. There, they will commemorate Arbaeen, a 40-day mourning period during which Shia Muslims remember the death of Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.
In a brief statement, the Iraqi Ministry of Health stated that 621 cases of asphyxia were recorded following the chlorine gas leakage in Karbala. "All have received the necessary treatment and left the hospital in good health," it said.
Security forces responsible for protecting the pilgrims said that the incident was caused by a chlorine leak from a water station on the Karbala-Najaf Road.
Most of Iraq's infrastructure is damaged due to decades of war, internal conflict, and corruption, often resulting in a lack of adherence to safety standards.
In July, a major fire in a shopping center in the eastern city of Kut claimed the lives of more than 60 people, many of whom died from suffocation in the toilets.
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