Basra declares three days of mourning after vehicle strikes Arbaeen pilgrims

BASRA, Iraq — The Basra local administration has declared three days of mourning following a crash in the Haritha district in the northeast of the city, where a driver struck a group of walkers, killing 10 and injuring 12 others. The incident occurred in the early hours on a main road used by pilgrims traveling from Haritha to Karbala for the Arbaeen commemoration, according to a security source. The source said the vehicle, a Taho sedan, was being driven by a motorist who was found to be under the influence of alcohol. The Basra Traffic Directorate subsequently closed the main road to vehicular traffic as emergency teams responded to the scene. The local administration announced the three-day mourning period in memory of the pilgrims who died in the crash. No further details on the driver or the injured were immediately available.