Iraqi authorities say more than 600 pilgrims were briefly hospitalized with breathing difficulties after inhaling chlorine gas from a leak at a water treatment facility.
The incident occurred overnight along the route between Najaf and Karbala, two major Shiite holy cities in central and southern Iraq. Millions of pilgrims are expected to visit Karbala this year to observe Arbaeen, the 40-day mourning period commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), at the shrines of Imam Hussein and Hazrat Abbas.
According to Iraq’s health ministry, 621 cases of asphyxia were recorded following the chlorine leak in Karbala. All patients received treatment and were discharged in good health.
Security forces responsible for safeguarding pilgrims said the leak originated from a water station on the Karbala–Najaf road.
Iraq’s aging infrastructure, weakened by decades of conflict and corruption, often suffers from poor safety compliance. In July, a deadly fire at a shopping mall in Kut claimed more than 60 lives, with many victims suffocating inside restrooms, highlighting the country’s ongoing public safety challenges.
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