At least 28 Pakistani pilgrims on their way to Iraq die in a bus accident in Iran | Transport News

According to preliminary police investigations, a defective braking system was responsible for the accident in the central province of Yazd.

At least 28 pilgrims from Pakistan were killed and 23 injured when their bus overturned in central Iran, Iranian state media reported.

The accident occurred late Tuesday in the central Iranian province of Yazd. There were 53 passengers on board the bus, which was on its way to the Arba'in pilgrimage to the holy city of Karbala in Iraq.

A technical defect in the vehicle's braking system caused the accident, according to preliminary investigations by the traffic police in Yazd, state media reported on Wednesday.

Millions of Shiite Muslims currently participate in the Arba'in pilgrimage and usually travel through Iran to reach their destination.

“Unfortunately, 11 women and 17 men lost their lives in this accident. Seven of the injured are in critical condition and six of the injured have now left the hospital,” Ali Malekzadeh, general director of Yazd's crisis management, told state television.

Of the 23 injured, six have already been discharged and seven are in critical condition, he said.

The Eid al-Arba'in marks the 40th day of mourning for Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and son of Imam Ali, who was killed in the plains of Karbala in 680 AD.

Many pilgrims choose to walk the 80 kilometers (50 miles) to Karbala from the nearby city of Najaf, where Imam Ali is buried.

Last year, around 22 million pilgrims took part in the commemoration in Karbala.

Iran has one of the worst road safety records in the world, with around 17,000 road deaths per year. The high death toll is attributed to disregard for traffic rules, unsafe vehicles and inadequate emergency services in the vast rural areas.