At least 32 killled in multi-vehicle crash near Damascus, including Iraqis
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – At least 32 people died Saturday after a fuel tanker crashed into two buses and several other vehicles on a road connecting the Syrian capital to Homs province, state media reported. At least 26 of those killed are Iraqis, according to Baghdad officials.
A break failure caused the tanker to crash into 15 vehicles and two large buses carrying the passengers, Syrian Interior Minister Mohammad Khaled al-Rahmoun said while inspecting the site of the accident outside Damascus.
“A road accident near the Syrian capital resulted in killing 26 Iraqis, and wounding 15 others,” Iraqi foreign minister Ahmed al-Sahaf said in a statement released late on Saturday. "The Iraqi embassy in Damascus is “closely watching the condition of the Iraqis who were affected in the car accident,” Sahaf said.
Another 77 people were injured in the accident, Rahmoun added, in comments carried by Syrian state media outlet SANA.
Footage aired on state media showed rescue teams deployed around the mangled remains of two cars. SANA released photos of a passenger bus with one end blown off.
The accident took place at 7:00 pm on Saturday, Iraq's interim ambassador to Syria told Iraqi state media.
“The health ministry in Syria has already taken the wounded Iraqis to Syrian hospitals,” Ambassador Niran Hashim told INA. “Iraq's embassy in Damascus is closely following the condition of the hospitalised Iraqis, and embassy staff are visiting the hospitals to check up on the injured Iraqis.”
The embassy is providing “help and support” to injured Iraqis and working to return them home, Hashim added.
Victims of the crash are believed to include Shiite Iraqi pilgrims visiting holy shrines near the capital.
Holy sites in Syria continue to be popular among Shiite pilgrims from across the region, despite an eight-year war that has displaced millions.
Additional reporting by AFP
A break failure caused the tanker to crash into 15 vehicles and two large buses carrying the passengers, Syrian Interior Minister Mohammad Khaled al-Rahmoun said while inspecting the site of the accident outside Damascus.
“A road accident near the Syrian capital resulted in killing 26 Iraqis, and wounding 15 others,” Iraqi foreign minister Ahmed al-Sahaf said in a statement released late on Saturday. "The Iraqi embassy in Damascus is “closely watching the condition of the Iraqis who were affected in the car accident,” Sahaf said.
Another 77 people were injured in the accident, Rahmoun added, in comments carried by Syrian state media outlet SANA.
Footage aired on state media showed rescue teams deployed around the mangled remains of two cars. SANA released photos of a passenger bus with one end blown off.
The accident took place at 7:00 pm on Saturday, Iraq's interim ambassador to Syria told Iraqi state media.
“The health ministry in Syria has already taken the wounded Iraqis to Syrian hospitals,” Ambassador Niran Hashim told INA. “Iraq's embassy in Damascus is closely following the condition of the hospitalised Iraqis, and embassy staff are visiting the hospitals to check up on the injured Iraqis.”
The embassy is providing “help and support” to injured Iraqis and working to return them home, Hashim added.
Victims of the crash are believed to include Shiite Iraqi pilgrims visiting holy shrines near the capital.
Holy sites in Syria continue to be popular among Shiite pilgrims from across the region, despite an eight-year war that has displaced millions.
Additional reporting by AFP