“Unfortunately, we found this morning (Monday, editor’s note) two bodies, that of a man and that of a woman”, under the rubble of Imam Ali’s Qattarat, a sanctuary near Karbala (center of the Iraq), Jaoudat Abdelrahmane, director of the Civil Defense media department, told AFP.
For the time being, the rescuers have removed seven lifeless bodies from the rubble of this place of pilgrimage: four women, two men and a child. Three children were rescued and hospitalized.
“We continue to search for other victims” in the rubble, continued Mr. Abdelrahmane. “Witnesses told us that the body of a woman was still” under the rubble.
The landslide occurred on Saturday afternoon, when a portion of the rock face that surrounds the shrine fell off, sinking part of its roof.
According to the Civil Defense, the landslide is due to “high humidity” which separated part of the rock from the rest of the wall.
The tragedy caused considerable emotion in Iraq, whose population is predominantly Shia Muslim.
Imam Ali’s Qattarat is located about 25 km west of the holy Shia city of Karbala and it attracts pilgrims by the thousands every year. It is dedicated to Imam Ali, son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad and founding figure of Shia Islam.
According to Shia tradition, Imam Ali stopped here with his army on his way to the Battle of Siffin in 657 and caused a spring to spring up there.