At least 28 Pakistani Zaireen travelling to Iraq to attend Arbaeen or Chelum of Hazrat Hussain (RA) were killed as their bus crashed in central Iran, state media reported early Wednesday.
"A bus carrying 51 Pakistani pilgrims overturned and caught fire in front of Dehshir-Taft checkpoint in the central province of Yazd on Tuesday night," Iranian state television reported.
It said "28 people have been killed and 23 injured so far with the possibility of the death toll increasing".
Yazd province crisis management chief Ali Malek-zadeh told the broadcaster that some of the injured were in critical condition.
"Of the 23 injured, six have already been discharged from hospital, while the condition of seven others is critical," Malek-zadeh said. "The dead consisted of 11 women and 17 men," he added.
Head of Iran traffic police, Teymour Hosseini, cited "technical failure in the brake system" and the "high inclination of the road" as the reasons for the crash.
The Iranian and Pakistani foreign ministries expressed their condolences and sympathies to the families of the bereaved.
Pakistan's Foreign Office further said the consul of Pakistan in Zahedan has been asked to visit the accident site to ensure medical relief to the injured and arrange the repatriation of the dead bodies to Pakistan.
Most of the victims are residents of Larkana where the bus journey began.
Syed Sultan Ali, the brother of the tour operator, told AFP: "My older brother Syed Shamsi has been running this service since 2010, and it has always gone so well. We have been deeply upset since last night."
He added that his brother is "unhurt" because he was travelling in a separate vehicle.
The pilgrims were headed through Iran to Iraq to attend the Arbaeen commemoration.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his deep grief over the loss of lives. "Deeply saddened by the loss of lives at a bus accident of Pakistani Zaireen near Yazd in Iran. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover at the earliest," he said in a statement.
The prime minister directed Pakistan's embassy in Tehran to extend all possible assistance to the affected families and ensure medical treatment of the injured.
He also asked the embassy to make arrangements for a swift repatriation of the dead bodies of the pilgrims to Pakistan.
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