At least 31 people have been killed in a stampede during commemorations for the Shia holy day of Ashura in the Iraqi city of Karbala, officials say.

A health ministry spokesman said another 100 people were injured and warned that the death toll could rise.

The stampede reportedly occurred when a pilgrim tripped while hundreds of thousands were performing a ritual.

Ashura commemorates the martyrdom in battle of the Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, in 680AD.

In 2005, at least 965 pilgrims were killed in a stampede on a bridge over the River Tigris in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. Witnesses said panic spread among the pilgrims over rumours of suicide bombers.

BBC

BDST: 2119 HRS, SEPT 10, 2019
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