35 killed in stampede during Soleimani’s funeral procession

Jan 7, 20120
Kerman (Iran), Jan 7 (IANS) At least 35 mourners were killed on Tuesday in a stampede during a funeral procession for Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani in his hometown of Kerman, where he will be laid to rest later in the day, according to state media.

Besides the 35 victims, Iranian state TV also confirmed that 48 others were also injured in the stampede, reports mirror.co.uk.

It quoted the head of Iran’s emergency medical services, Pirhossein Koulivand, saying there had been a deadly stampede.

The remains of Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy leader of the Iraqi militia Popular Mobilization Forces who was also killed in the January 3 attack ordered by US President Donald Trump, arrived in Kerman on Tuesday morning, following massive funeral processions in the Iraqi cities of Baghdad, Karbala and Najaf as well as the cities of Ahvaz, Mashhad, Tehran and Qom in Iran, reports Press TV.

An estimated seven million mourners took part in Monday’s funeral in Tehran, according to the Coordination Council for Islamic Propagation.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Soleimani’s daughter Zeinab also participated in Monday’s procession.

From the early hours of Tuesday, large crowds of black-clad mourners began filling the streets of Kerman.

Chants of “Death to America” have been ringing out across the city, with mourners carrying the portraits of the national hero.

Soleimani, 63, had been on the ground in Syria and Iraq supervising militias backed by Tehran.