Death toll could rise to 600 in Baghdad bridge disaster
A railing collapsed today on a bridge packed with Shiite worshippers during a religious procession, sending crowds tumbling into the Tigris River.
More than 300 people died and the numbers could rise to more than 600, police said.
There was confusion over what caused the railing to collapse on the bridge to the city's heavily Shiite Kazamiyah district, but police also said there were unconfirmed rumours the stampede may have been caused when someone in the crowd shouted there was a suicide bomber in the crowd.
Brig. Gen. Khalid Hassan said at least 340 people died, but another senior police officer estimated the number could be closer to 600.
Victims were transported to various hospitals and officials were scrambling to compile an accurate count.
Tensions were running high after a mortar and rocket attack more than two hours earlier killed at least seven people and injured at least 40 near the Imam Mousa al-Kadim shrine in the city’s heavily Shiite Kazamiyah district.
At least six people died after drinking poisoned juice and food they received around the mosque, said Muhannad Jawad of the Yarmouk hospital.
After the disaster, thousands of people rushed to both banks of the river searching for survivors.
Hundreds of men stripped down and waded into the muddy water downstream from the bridge trying to extract bodies floating in the water.
Iraq’s Deputy Interior Minister later said the death toll was about 640.
