Over 600 pilgrims hospitalised due to chlorine gas leak in Iraq - Region
The incident took place overnight on the route between the two Shiite holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, located in the centre and south of Iraq respectively.
This year, several million Shiite Muslim pilgrims are expected to make their way to Karbala, which houses the shrines of the revered Imam Hussein and his brother Abbas.
There, they will mark the Arbaeen -- the 40-day period of mourning during which Shiites commemorate the death of Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.
In a brief statement, Iraq's health ministry said "621 cases of asphyxia have been recorded following a chlorine gas leak in Karbala".
"All have received the necessary care and left hospital in good health," it said.
Security forces charged with protecting pilgrims meanwhile said the incident had been caused by "a chlorine leak from a water station on the Karbala-Najaf road".
Much of Iraq's infrastructure is in disrepair due to decades of conflict and corruption, with adherence to safety standards often lax.
In July, a massive fire at a shopping mall in the eastern city of Kut killed more than 60 people, many of whom suffocated in the toilets, according to authorities.
Follow us on:
Short link:
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al-Ahram Weekly
a day ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Over 600 pilgrims hospitalised due to chlorine gas leak in Iraq - Region
More than 600 pilgrims in Iraq were briefly hospitalised with respiratory problems after inhaling chlorine as the result of a leak at a water treatment station, authorities said Sunday. The incident took place overnight on the route between the two Shiite holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, located in the centre and south of Iraq respectively. This year, several million Shiite Muslim pilgrims are expected to make their way to Karbala, which houses the shrines of the revered Imam Hussein and his brother Abbas. There, they will mark the Arbaeen -- the 40-day period of mourning during which Shiites commemorate the death of Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Mohammed. In a brief statement, Iraq's health ministry said "621 cases of asphyxia have been recorded following a chlorine gas leak in Karbala". "All have received the necessary care and left hospital in good health," it said. Security forces charged with protecting pilgrims meanwhile said the incident had been caused by "a chlorine leak from a water station on the Karbala-Najaf road". Much of Iraq's infrastructure is in disrepair due to decades of conflict and corruption, with adherence to safety standards often lax. In July, a massive fire at a shopping mall in the eastern city of Kut killed more than 60 people, many of whom suffocated in the toilets, according to authorities. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
See - Sada Elbalad
2 days ago
- See - Sada Elbalad
Kim Kardashian Reveals Her ‘Body Was Breaking Down' due to Nasty Injury
Yara Sameh Kim Kardashian is opening up about the 'chronic pain' she suffered for years while recovering from a 'debilitating' shoulder injury. 'I'm so excited to share with you guys my stem cell journey. Two years ago, I tore my shoulder while lifting weights, leaving me in debilitating pain,' she wrote in an Instagram post on Friday. The reality star, 44, explained that she 'tried everything to find relief' before learning about stem cell therapy and meeting with specialist Dr. Adeel Khan. After beginning treatment, which includes using stem cells to repair or replace damaged tissues and organs, Kardashian said she saw 'immediate' results and 'regained full range of motion.' 'My shoulder has felt completely normal ever since,' she said, crediting Dr. Khan and his team of medical experts, whom she recently went back to see to address chronic back pain that she's been suffering from for years. 'The Muse stem cell treatment was a game-changer once again. I experienced relief right away, and the unbearable pain is finally gone,' she shared with her followers. 'If you're struggling with back pain, I can't recommend this treatment enough – it's transformed my life when I thought my body was breaking down.' The slew of photos featured the 'Kardashians' star with Dr. Khan as well as her sister Khloé, at the treatment center in Mexico. Kardashian recognized that the treatment might not be accessible or right for everyone and that her fans should do their 'homework and talk to medical professionals.' 'Here's to hope, healing, and the future of science,' the Skims co-founder concluded the emotional message. It seems that the serious shoulder injury from 2023 didn't stop the The 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' star from doing her grueling workouts. The Skkn CEO revealed that she hit the gym just a few weeks after breaking her shoulder and tearing a tendon in August of that year. 'So we are starting our rehabbing today and our workouts because I gotta get back in the gym,' she said on her Instagram Story while pointing the camera at her trainer, Melissa Alcantara, who had the 'same thing happen to her.' 'Nothing is going to keep me down,' Kardashian added. The 'American Horror Story' actress even showed off her gymnastics skills by doing a cartwheel a few weeks prior to that, seemingly in the thick of all the pain. Kardashian has been under fire for her intense health and fitness routines in the past, especially when she lost 16 pounds in three weeks in order to fit into Marilyn Monroe's iconic dress for the 2022 Met Gala. Her personal trainer defended her though, claiming that she lost the weight the 'healthy way.' 'I think one of the misconceptions is — she works really hard. I was there through the process and it wasn't like a starving yourself type of thing,' Don-A-Matrix explained in May of that year. 'She's been on a real balanced diet and at times she wouldn't eat as much, but then the second thing was she went to the gym and put the work in.' read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Arts & Culture Lebanese Media: Fayrouz Collapses after Death of Ziad Rahbani Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results
Al-Ahram Weekly
5 days ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
MSF 'overwhelmed' in Ethiopia's southwest after aid cuts - Africa
Rising cases of extreme infant hunger and malaria are overwhelming humanitarian facilities in southwestern Ethiopia as aid cuts force other nutrition and disease prevention programmes to shutter, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned Wednesday. Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation with around 130 million people, is grappling with armed clashes in two of its largest regions. Southwestern Gambella borders South Sudan, itself facing a dramatic uptick in violence and funding cuts to international programmes that form the country's healthcare backbone. The region currently shelters just under 400,000 refugees across seven camps, many of them South Sudanese. MSF said it had seen a 55-percent increase compared to last year in child admissions to its feeding centre in Kule camp, with many of the infants coming from camps nearby. Funding cuts have meant the closure of nutrition services in four of the seven refugee camps, MSF said, "leaving around 80,000 children under the age of five at risk of life-threatening malnutrition". Patient visits to the Kule camp have risen by almost 60 percent compared to 2024. "MSF is overwhelmed by the increased patient load, and we fear this number will likely keep rising in the coming months," said Armand Dirks, MSF's project coordinator in Gambella. Nyauahial Puoch travelled roughly eight kilometres (five miles) from another refugee camp to seek treatment for her malnourished 17-month-old daughter. "Since last year, there has been a big decline. Some of the items we used to get are no longer provided at all," the NGO quoted her as saying. While they are given food once a month, Puoch said, "it always runs out before the month ends". Funding cuts have also had an impact on disease prevention, notably malaria programmes, with MSF predicting a steep increase in the May-to-October rainy season. The NGO said in July it had seen an approximately 125-percent rise in the number of malaria patients -- almost 24,000 -- compared to the previous month, with half of these patients coming from neighbouring refugee camps. "This poses a serious threat to already vulnerable refugees who face heightened exposure to malaria-infected mosquitoes due to overcrowded living conditions and limited sanitation," said Birhanu Sahile, MSF's deputy medical coordinator. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
