Skip to main content
Gen Soleimani was killed by US air strikes in Iraq. Courtesy photo

Stampede Kills 50 Mourners at Gen Soleimani's Burial in Iran

posted onJanuary 7, 2020
nocomment

By BBC

Fifty people have been killed and more than 200 injured in a stampede as Iranians gathered for the burial of a leading commander killed in a US drone strike.

The deaths in Qasem Soleimani's hometown of Kerman led to his interment being delayed. Millions are already estimated to have packed the streets for a series of funeral processions in Iran.

Soleimani's killing has raised fears of a conflict between the US and Iran. The head of the Quds force was tasked with defending and projecting Iranian interests abroad, and was hailed as a hero in his home country.

To the US he was a terrorist, and in explaining why he ordered the strike President Trump said he was acting on an "imminent" threat. It is unclear what caused the stampede in Kerman, south-eastern Iran, but vast numbers of people had been in the streets on Tuesday morning ahead of the planned burial.

A coroner quoted on Iran's ISNA put the death toll at 50, with those injured numbering more than 200.

About Author

Kp Reporter - Chief editor

Join the conversation

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.