TEHRAN, Aug 5: At least 88 pilgrims from Iran have died on unauthorised pilgrimages to Iraq and all but 12 of them have died from hunger or thirst, newspapers quoted Iran’s border guards chief as saying here on Tuesday.
Behnam Shariati-Fard said the remainder were killed in mine blasts along the border between the two countries, while another 30 Iranian pilgrims had been wounded.
He said that about 42,000 people, intercepted at the border trying to cross illegally, were sent home, adding that another 194 were arrested and faced prosecution.—AFP
