Iraq ends rescue operations at shrine hit by landslide

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Rescue workers late Monday ended rescue operations at a Shiite shrine hit by a landslide earlier in the central Iraqi province of Karbala after they pulled eight bodies from the rubble.

The bodies of five women, two men, and a child have been recovered from the rubble of a Shiite shrine, known as Qattarat al-Imam Ali, during 60 hours of rescue operations which have now been terminated, the civil defense authorities said. 

The Shrine has now been closed to the public, they added.

An earthen slope collapsed, due to saturation from humidity, onto the Shiite shrine dedicated to Prophet Mohammed’s son-in-law Imam Ali on Saturday, entrapping more than half a dozen civilians who had visited the holy site for religious practices. 

Spokesman for the civil defense directorate Nawas Sabah told AFP on Sunday that “between six to eight people” were caught under the collapsed shrine.

The Iraqi health ministry said six people have been rescued.

Qattarat al-Imam Ali, which sits on the base of high and bare rock walls, is about 25 kilometers from the holy city of Karbala, which is the burial site of Prophet Mohammed’s grandson Imam Hussein.

Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called for an investigation into the latest tragedy to befall the war-torn country and Kurdish leaders said the Kurdistan Region’s hospitals are ready to assist those affected by the incident.