Daily Times

At least 35 Pakistani pilgrims have been killed and 15 critically injured in a bus accident in Iran’s Yazd province, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

The accident, which occurred late on Tuesday, was reportedly caused by a braking system failure.

The injured have been transported to a nearby hospital. Most of the passengers were from Larkana, Ghotki, and other Sindh cities. Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iran, Muhammad Mudassir Tipu, in a series of tweets, expressed his grief over the incident and assured that he would do his utmost for the repatriation of those who passed away while also attending to the injured. “Embassy officials have already left for Yazd, almost 700 km away from the embassy, this morning. An officer in Zahedan is overseeing emergency arrangements. I’m in touch with the Iranian government and the office of the Mayor of Yazd for crucial arrangements,” he added.

“We thank Iran for extending excellent cooperation. We kindly request your support and patience in this hour of grief,” he concluded.

President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed profound grief over the tragedy, offering condolences to the victims’ families and directing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to repatriate the bodies and provide aid to the injured. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed his sadness over the incident. “Deeply saddened by the loss of lives at 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 wrote on his official X handle.

Shehbaz said that he has directed Pakistan’s mission in Tehran to extend all possible assistance to the affected families. The bus, which overturned in Yazd province, also left 23 people injured in total. The accident involved 11 women and 17 men. Pakistan’s consular services in Iran have been asked to assist with the aftermath. The accident occurred during the Arbaeen pilgrimage, which draws millions of Shia Muslims to Iraq’s Karbala Governorate to mark Chehlum.