Over 600 pilgrims in Iraq were hospitalised after a chlorine gas leak from a water treatment plant along the Najaf–Karbala route, causing mass breathing difficulties during the Arbaeen pilgrimage.
Over 600 pilgrims were rushed to hospitals with respiratory distress after inhaling chlorine gas that leaked from a water treatment facility on the Najaf–Karbala road in Iraq, officials reported on August 10, 2025. The incident occurred overnight along the pilgrimage route linking two sacred Shiite cities—Najaf and Karbala—as millions prepare to mark Arbaeen, a major period of mourning in the Shiite faith spacewar.comDunya NewsXinhua News.
Iraq’s Health Ministry confirmed that 621 cases of asphyxia were documented. Thankfully, all affected individuals received immediate treatment and were discharged in stable condition Dunya NewsXinhua News. Security forces attributed the incident to a chlorine leak originating at a water treatment station along the pilgrimage highway Xinhua NewsDunya NewsDaily Times.
Experts note that Iraq’s aging infrastructure and longstanding safety challenges—exacerbated by decades of conflict and corruption—likely contributed to the incident Dunya Newsspacewar.comDaily Times.
