Chlorine leak in Karbala-Najaf area in Iraq sickens over 600 pilgrims

Karbala: More than 600 pilgrims in Iraq were briefly hospitalised with respiratory problems after inhaling chlorine gas due to a leak at a water treatment station, authorities reported Sunday. The incident occurred overnight on the route connecting the two Shiite holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, located in central and southern Iraq, respectively.

Each year, several million Shi’ite Muslim pilgrims journey 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, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.

According to a brief statement from Iraq’s health ministry, "621 cases of asphyxia have been recorded following a chlorine gas leak in Karbala." The ministry added that "all have received the necessary care and left the hospital in good health."

Security forces responsible for protecting the pilgrims stated that the incident resulted from "a chlorine leak from a water station on the Karbala-Najaf road."

Iraq’s infrastructure remains heavily degraded due to decades of conflict and corruption, with safety standards often poorly enforced. The chlorine leak incident comes amid other recent tragedies, such as a massive fire in July at a shopping mall in the eastern city of Kut that killed over 60 people, many suffocating inside restrooms, according to officials.

With inputs from AFP