Tragedy Strikes as Bus Carrying Shiite Pilgrims Overturns, Claiming 18 Lives in Iraq

A bus carrying Shiite pilgrims to the Iraqi city of Karbala overturned near Balad, north of Baghdad, resulting in the death of 18 people, including 10 Iranians, two Iraqis, and six individuals of unknown nationality. The annual pilgrimage of Arbaeen attracts millions of believers from Iraq, Iran, and Gulf countries, making it the largest annual public gathering globally. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani was present at the Shalamcheh border crossing to observe the entry of Iranian pilgrims and laid the foundation stone for a railway project connecting the two countries.