Over 600 die in Iraqi stampede

2005-08-31 11:24

Baghdad - More than 630 people were killed in a stampede and attacks in Baghdad on Tuesday as thousands of Shiite Muslim faithful gathered near a sacred shrine, officials said.

Many of the dead drowned after falling of a bridge in a surge of panic triggered by rumours there were suicide bombers in the crowd, in what is by far the deadliest single incident since the US-led war on Iraq.

"Some 637 deaths have been accounted for and 238 wounded according to information obtained from five hospitals," a security official told AFP, while a hospital official said 20 people had died of poisoning.

The stampede occurred shortly after the Kadhimiya shrine had come under mortar fire, which left at least seven people dead and dozens wounded, as crowds gathered to commemorate the death of a revered figure, Imam Mussa Kazim.

"Dozens of pilgrims fell in the river Tigris as they panicked following rumours of the presence of two suicide bombers in the crowd, while they were crossing Al-Aaimmah bridge near the mosque," the source said.

The US military said helicopters had fired on suspected rebels who carried out the mortar attack on the shrine and had sent ground units to the area to assist in tracking down those responsible. A dozen individuals were detained for questioning.

"Many women and children were crying as panic broke out after the attacks," said an Iraqi army officer.

Six other people were wounded when gunmen opened fire on Shiite pilgrims in Baghdad's Adhamiyah neighbourhood, an interior ministry source said.

"The pilgrims were heading towards the Kadhimiyah shrine and had passed a Sunni mosque on the way when some gunmen opened fire on them," the source said.

The latest round of violence came a day after US air strikes on suspected al-Qaeda hideouts near the Syrian border killed what a security source said was at least 56 people.

- AFP