35 Killed, 15 Injured As Bus Carrying Pilgrims Overturns, Catches Fire On Highway

• On Wednesday, August 21, a bus carrying pilgrims en route to Iraq for an Islamic religious ritual crashed in central Iran
• State media reports indicated 35 people died while 15 others sustained serious injuries and were rushed to hospital
• Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his condolences to the families affected by the horrible accident

Amos Khaemba, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Tehran - At least 35 pilgrims have been confirmed dead following a horrible bus accident on the Yazd main highway.

How many people were injured in the accident

According to the Red Cross Society, the accident happened on the morning of Wednesday, August 21, in the Iranian city of Yazd.

Reports by state media indicated the pilgrims were en route to Iraq for an Islamic religious ritual when their bus crashed before catching fire.

"A bus carrying Pakistani pilgrims overturned and caught fire in front of Dehshir-Taft checkpoint in the central province of Yazd on Tuesday night. 28 people have been killed and 23 injured so far, with the possibility of death toll increasing," they reported.

At least 23 others were injured and rushed to the nearby hospitals for treatment.

What Pakistan PM said about the bus accident

Preliminary investigations indicate the horrible accident occurred due to brake failure.

The pilgrims were going to Iraq to commemorate Arbaeen, which marks the 40th day following the martyrdom of Hazarat Imam Hussain.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took to social media to express condolences to the families affected by the accident.

"Deeply saddened by the loss of lives at a bus accident of Pakistani Zaireen near Yazd in Iran. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover at the earliest. I have directed our Mission in Tehran to extend all possible assistance to the affected families," Sharif said.

What caused the Salgaa accident?

In other sad news, a tragic crash in the Migaa area of Salgaa early Tuesday morning, August 20, resulted in the deaths of 13 passengers.

There are concerns that the death toll may rise, as rescuers suspect that additional bodies may still be trapped in the wreckage.

Survivor Rhoda Atieno, who was travelling from Kisumu, revealed that the bus had 71 passengers en route to Mombasa and that the crew had faced mechanical issues throughout the journey.

Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke