Authorities in Iraq reported on Sunday that more than 600 pilgrims were briefly hospitalised with respiratory problems after inhaling chlorine from a leak at a water treatment station.
The leak occurred overnight along the route between the Shiite holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, situated in central and southern Iraq.
This year, several million Shiite Muslim pilgrims are expected to travel to Karbala, home to the shrines of Imam Hussein and his brother Abbas, to observe Arbaeen — a 40-day mourning period commemorating the death of Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.
In a brief statement, Iraq’s health ministry confirmed, “We recorded 621 cases of asphyxia following a chlorine gas leak in Karbala. All received the necessary care and left hospital in good health.”
Security forces responsible for protecting the pilgrims stated that the chlorine had leaked from a water station on the Karbala–Najaf road.
Much of Iraq’s infrastructure remains in disrepair after decades of conflict and corruption, with safety standards frequently neglected. In July, a massive fire at a shopping mall in Kut claimed over 60 lives, many of the victims suffocating in the toilets, according to officials.