31 dead, over 100 wounded in Ashura ceremony stampede in Karbala

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – At least 31 people died and 100 others were wounded on Tuesday during a ceremony marking the Shiite commemoration of Ashura in the Iraqi province of Karbala.

“More than 31 people died and 100 others were wounded in Karbala today due to a Twerij running stampede,” Iraqi Ministry of Health spokesperson Saif al-Badr told Rudaw on Tuesday. “At  least 10 of the wounded are in a critical condition.”

The stampede occurred due to procession overcrowding, deputy head of Karbala's civil defense department said in a video posted to Twitter. He added that wounded pilgrims are currently receiving hospital treatment.

Ashura is a ten-day mourning period in which Shiite Muslims mourn the death of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed. It sees millions of Shiites from across the world flock to Iraq.

During Twerij, Shiite pilgrims run approximately 2 kilometers from Qantar al-Salam in Karbala toward the grave of Imam al-Hussein in the old city. 
 
Iraq, a Shiite-majority country, is home to some of the Islamic sect’s most holy sites, including the shrine of Imam Hussein.

Tuesday's stampede is believed to be the biggest to take place during Ashura in Iraq in recent history.

During the height of Iraq's sectarian tension, a 2005 Ashura procession stampede on the Al-Aaimmah bridge in Baghdad killed 953 people, after rumors of a potential suicide bombing broke out.

In a US Embassy in Baghdad release on Tuesday evening, Ambassador Matthew Tueller offered his condolences to those killed and injured in the stampede.

"We lament this tragic loss of life and wish those injured a swift and full recovery."

Updated at 8:00pm