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Iraq: Two more bodies recovered from the rubble of a Shiite shrine

Two more bodies were recovered today from the rubble of a Shiite shrine in Iraq, part of which collapsed after falling rock, raising the death toll from the crash to seven, rescue services said.

“Unfortunately we found two bodies this morning, a man and a woman,” under the Shrine of Imam Ali, located near Karbala (central Iraq), General Zaudat Abdelrahman, director of the press office of the Political Service, told AFP. Protection.

So far rescuers have recovered seven bodies from the wreckage of this pilgrimage site: four women, two men and a child. Three children were rescued and are being treated.

“We are still searching for other victims,” ​​Abdelrahman continued. “Witnesses told us that the body of a woman is still lying” under the debris.

The landslide occurred at noon on Saturday, when a part of the rock wall of the shrine was detached, resulting in the destruction of a part of its roof.

According to the Civil Protection Service, the fall was due to “intense humidity” which had the effect of detaching the rock from the rest of the wall.

The tragedy caused great emotion in Iraq, the majority of whose population is Shia Muslim.

Imam Ali’s shrine is about 25 kilometers west of the Shiite holy city of Kerbala and attracts thousands of pilgrims every year. It is dedicated to the Prophet Muhammad’s son-in-law and a founding figure of Shiite Islam.

According to Shia tradition, Imam Ali halted there with his army while en route to the Battle of Siffin in 657 and a spring gushed forth at the site.

Source: Capital

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