More than 600 Shiite pilgrims in Iraq were hospitalised with respiratory problems after inhaling chlorine following a leak at a water treatment plant.
The incident occurred in Karbala. According to the Iraqi Ministry of Health, all those affected received medical assistance and left the hospitals in good condition. The cause of the incident was a chlorine leak from a water treatment plant on the Karbala-Najaf highway.
Journalists note that Iraq’s infrastructure is in a deplorable state due to decades of war and corruption, and there are no safety standards in place to assess its reliability.
Several million Shiite Muslims from around the world are expected to visit Karbala in 2025. The city is believed to be the resting place of the remains of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Hussein and his brother Abbas.
On the night of 14 to 15 August, Shiites mourn Hussein and his 72 companions who fell in an unequal battle with the troops of the Umayyad caliph Yazid. These commemorative events are called Arbaeen.
