Babil Health Media Iraq director Ahmed Al-Juburi reported that “11 Iranian visitors and their Iraqi driver died today in a traffic accident in central Iraq after their bus collided with a truck causing a fire”, noting that ” A small bus driven by an Iraqi carrying Iranian guests collided with a parked truck.” On the road in Babil Province, south of Baghdad.

In a statement to Agence France Presse, he said “11 Iranians and an Iraqi driver died immediately,” noting that a fire had also started. He stated that four of the wounded were in “critical condition”.

Al-Jubouri confirmed that the driver of the parked truck was also Iranian and “was arrested for causing the accident.” In this context, a traffic officer in Baghdad confirmed that the accident “led to an explosion and fire in the bus, as well as to the fire of the passengers inside.”

About two million Iranian pilgrims have arrived in Iraq to visit the city of Karbala on the occasion of the fortieth day of Imam Hussein, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, according to official figures. Oil-rich Iraq suffers from dilapidated infrastructure due to decades of conflict, especially highways, bridges and other transport equipment. Successive governments are accused of inefficiency and corruption.