Rush, suffocation: Mourner dies, over dozen fall unconscious

SUKKUR: A mourner, Jameel Ahmed, died and more than a dozen others fell unconscious from suffocation and the rush at a Muharram procession in Rohri early Tuesday morning.

The centuries-old historical procession of Karbala takes place in Rohri on Muharram 9 every year and a large number of from people across the country participate in it.

Early Tuesday morning, as soon as a replica of the Karbala shrine was taken out from an imambargah, thousands of mourners rushed to get a glimpse. As a result of suffocation and rush, Ahmed, who was a resident of Bhiria City, died on the spot, while more than a dozen others fell unconscious. The victims were shifted to the taluka hospital in Rohri. Meanwhile, strict security measures were adopted in and around the city and a large contingent of police and Rangers were deployed at the exit and entry points of the city and on the route of the processions. All the people entering the venue had to pass walk-through gates and were being physically searched by male and female police officers. Similar measures were also adopted in other cities and towns of upper Sindh including, Sukkur, Khairpur, Ghotki, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kandhkot-Kashmore, Naushero Feroze, Larkana and Kamber-Shahdadkot.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 12^th, 2016.