Iraq
The Iraqi civil defense team rescuing one of the civilians trapped under the rubbles of the Qattara of Imam Ali shrine in Karbala, Iraq on August 20, 2022. Photo: Iraqi Directorate General of Civil Defense/Facebook
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Five bodies have so far been recovered from under the rubbles after a landslide hit a Shiite shrine in Iraq’s central city of Karbala, rescuers said on Sunday as the search effort continues.
An earthen slope collapsed onto a Shiite shrine, known as Qattarat al-Imam Ali on Saturday due to “moisture saturation,” according to Iraq’s civil defense directorate, entrapping more than half a dozen civilians who had visited the holy site for religious practices.
The directorate announced that its rescue team has pulled four bodies, including one of a woman, from the ruins as of Sunday afternoon.
Later in the evening, the civil defense raised the death toll to five, including three women, a man, and a child.
Iraqi health ministry also said that six people have been rescued from under the rubble.
Iraqi President Barham Salih and Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi offered their condolences to the families of the victims in separate statements, calling on the civil defense and health directorates to mobilize their efforts toward rescuing those that remain trapped.
President of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani also extended his condolences to those affected by the incident, stating that the Region’s hospitals and medical teams “are fully prepared to provide all assistance to our people in Karbala.”
Prime Minister of the Region Masrour Barzani sympathized with those affected by the incident, emphasizing that the “Kurdistan Region with all its health institutions, are ready to provide all forms of support and assistance to our people in holy Karbala.”
Followers of the Shiite doctrine are currently commemorating a 40-day memorial coinciding with the anniversary of the passing of Imam Hussein, the son of Imam Ali, which could lead to an influx in the number of visitors to the shrine.
It is unclear how many people remain trapped but the spokesman for the civil defense directorate Nawas Sabah told AFP that “between six to eight people are still caught” under the collapsed shrine.
The Shiite Endowment office on Sunday denied accountability for the incident saying that the shrine is not registered in the name of or administered by the office, calling on the authorities in charge to prevent such incidents from reoccurring.
Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called for an immediate investigation into the incident.
Qattarat al-Imam Ali is about 25 kilometers from the holy city of Karbala, which is the burial site of Prophet Mohammed’s grandson Imam Hussein.
The area is visited by millions of Shiite followers from around the world annually to commemorate Ashura, the anniversary of Imam Hussein’s passing, as well as the Arbaeen, which marks 40 days following the anniversary.
Updated at 10:47 pm
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