KARACHI: The bodies of 28 Pakistani pilgrims who died in a traffic accident in Iran while traveling to Iraq were repatriated on a special flight Friday night. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced compensation of Rs5 million each for the families of the deceased and Rs1 million for the injured victims.
The special C-130 aircraft landed at Shahbaz Airport in Jacobabad, bringing back the bodies of the deceased and 15 of the 25 injured persons who had been discharged from Iranian hospitals. Sukkur Mayor Arsalan Islam Shaikh, who is also the provincial government’s spokesperson, confirmed that the deceased included individuals from various districts: 10 from Larkana, three from Kamber-Shahdadkot and Karachi, six from Kashmore, four from Khairpur, and one each from Dadu and Jamshoro.
Among the injured, eight were from Larkana, five from Kamber-Shahdadkot, four from Khairpur, and others from Dadu, Naushahro Feroze, Shikarpur, Karachi, Sehwan, and Jhal Magsi (Balochistan). The provincial government has arranged for the bereaved families, with over 40 Rescue 1122 ambulances stationed at the airport. The injured will be taken to hospitals in their home districts, with severely injured individuals transported to Karachi via air ambulance.
Funeral prayers for the deceased were held at Yazd Airport in Iran before their return. The ceremony was attended by Iranian and Pakistani officials, including a representative of the Iranian Supreme Leader, Yazd Governor Mehran Fatemi, Deputy Governor Abdul Husseni, and Pakistani Ambassador to Iran Mudassir Tipu.
