No Pakistani among those killed in Karbala stampede: FO

Spokesman said Pakistan Embassy Camp Office in Karbala is closely monitoring the situation.

ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson on Wednesday has said that there is no Pakistani among those killed in a stampede in Karbala. In a statement, the spokesman said Pakistan Embassy Camp Office in Karbala is closely monitoring the situation. He also extended sincere condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. Earlier, at least 31 pilgrims had died in a stampede at a major shrine in the Iraqi city of Karbala as they marked the holy day of Ashura, the health ministry said. Another 100 people were injured at the shrine around 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of Baghdad, said spokesman Saif al-Badr, stressing that the toll was not final. The incident happened toward the end of the Ashoura procession, causing panic and a stampede. It is the deadliest stampede in recent history during Ashura, when Shiite pilgrims from around the world swarm Karbala to commemorate the death of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA), Prophet Mohammed’s (PBUP) grandson. In 2005, at least 965 pilgrims heading to the Imam Kadhim shrine in Baghdad during a different holiday died after rumours of a suicide bomber in the crowd sparked a mass stampede.