Stampede in a mausoleum in Iraq has left at least 31 dead | Chronic

At least 31 people died and nearly a hundred were injured in a rush in the mausoleum of Imam Husein of the Iraqi city of Kerbala. The incident occurred during the celebration of Ashura, the most important religious holiday for Shiites.

The Iraqi Ministry of Health announced in a statement that at least ten of the wounded were in serious condition and warned that the death toll could increase in the next few hours as it is due to a preliminary figure. For now, it is unclear what caused the disruption in this central Iraq town, about 110 kilometers south of Baghdad.

The event took place as tens of thousands of people participated in the central ceremony commemorating the death of the Imam. Husein in Kerbala. Iraqi worshipers from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Kuwait, Syria and Lebanon have come and gone, said a local police spokesman in Efe, Akram al Saadi.

The holiday is celebrated between strong security measures, with the deployment of army troops, police, air forces and the pro-government Popular Crowd militia, said the official report gathered by the agency. EFE press release.

"The Security Committee recommended to law enforcement officers of the province to avoid the entry of convoys of agents during the protest and to ban the movement of vehicles in the city , as well as the flight of drones over the mausoleum "concludes Al Saadi.

The central celebration of Ashura in Iraq took place in Kerbala, but religious and festive events were also held in at least a dozen places, including the holy cities of Najaf and Samarra.

The Shiites, although they are majority in Iraq, are minority within Islam and represent approximately 10% of the 1.5 billion Moslems in the world.