At least 28 Pakistani pilgrims die in bus accident in Iran

A bus carrying Pakistani pilgrims overturned in Iran, killing at least 28 passengers, Iranian state media reported.

The accident occurred on Tuesday evening in the central Iranian province of Yazd and was caused by a defective braking system, Reuters reported, citing preliminary police investigations.

Another 23 passengers were injured, seven of them seriously, the province's crisis management director told state television.

The pilgrims were on their way to the holy city of Karbala in Iraq to commemorate one of the greatest events in the Shiite calendar.

According to the Pakistani newspaper Dawn News, there were probably 53 people on the bus at the time of the accident, including pilgrims from Larkana, Ghotki and cities in Sindh.

According to the crisis management director, eleven women and 17 men were among the fatalities in the crash.

According to local media reports, the bus caught fire in front of the Dehshir-Taft checkpoint in Iran, about 681 kilometers south of the capital Tehran.

The pilgrimage, known as Arbaeen, marks the end of a 40-day mourning period for Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.

Currently, about two million Shiite pilgrims take part.

Iran is known for its poor road safety; around 20,000 people die in accidents every year.