Road accidents are widespread during Arabaeen in Iraq when millions of pilgrims, including Iranians, visit Karbala.

On September 2, 2023, Shiite Muslim pilgrims march through Najaf on their way to the central Iraqi shrine city of Karbala to participate in the Arbaeen religious festival, which commemorates the seventh-century murder of Prophet Mohammed's PBUH grandson, Imam Hussein (RA), and falls on the 40th day after Ashura.The AFP/file

As thousands of people traveled to the holy city of Karbala for Arbaeen, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, a traffic accident in northern Iraq on Sunday claimed the lives of at least 16 people, among them Iranian pilgrims.

Between Dujail and Samarra is where the accident happened.

State news agency INA said on Saturday that the incident injured at least 13 persons and claimed that Khaled Burhan, the province of Salaheddine's director of health services, had confirmed the number of fatalities.

The whole extent of the accident is still unknown, but according to Burhan, the majority of those killed were Iranian pilgrims. He continued, "Injured were taken to hospitals."

However, a Salaheddine medical officer who spoke to AFP under the condition of anonymity said that two minibusses collided on Friday just before midnight.

According to witness testimony, the official claimed that one of the drivers allegedly dozed off behind the wheel. He estimated 18 fatalities.

According to statistics released by the interior ministry on Friday, since Arbaeen began, 2.6 million pilgrims, many of them Iranian, have visited Iraq either land or air.

The gathering marks the conclusion of the 40-day period of mourning for the death of Imam Hussein (RA), the founder of Shia Islam and a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. It ends this year on September 6 and 7.

Data from the health ministry show that more than 4,900 people died in road accidents in Iraq last year, or 13 on average each day.

The infrastructure of oil-rich Iraq, particularly its roads and bridges, is in poor condition as a result of conflict, neglect, and widespread corruption. Officials claim that using a phone while driving and speeding can contribute to collisions.