Pilgrims crossed east from Al Kazimiyah (Al Kadimiyah) over A'imma (Al-Aaimmah) bridge.

The Baghdad bridge stampede occurred on August 31, 2005 when up to 1,000 people died following a stampede on Al-Aaimmah bridge, which crosses the Tigris river in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.It was the biggest loss of life in Iraq in one day since the US-led invasion of 2003. Image File history File links Summary crop of Image:Baghdad City. ... Image File history File links Summary crop of Image:Baghdad City. ... August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A stampede is an act of mass impulse among herd animals or a crowd of people in which the herd (or crowd) collectively begins running with no clear direction or purpose. ... The Al-Aaimmah bridge is a bridge over the river Tigris in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. ... Tigris River in Mosul, Iraq The Tigris (Kurdish: Tîj / Tûj / Tîr , Old Persian: Tigrā-, Pahlavi: Tigr, Syriac: ܕܩܠܬ; Deqlath, Arabic: دجلة; Dijla, Turkish: Dicle, Hebrew: חדקל; ḥiddeqel) is the eastern member of the pair of great rivers that define Mesopotamia, along with the Euphrates, which flows from the mountains of... In politics, a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ... Location of Baghdad within Iraq Baghdad (Arabic: , from Persian بغداد , meaning given by angels) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Province. ... It has been suggested that 2003 Invasion of Iraq be merged into this article or section. ...

At the time of the stampede around one million pilgrims had gathered around or were marching toward the Kadhimiya mosque which is the shrine of the Imam Musa al-Kazim, one of the twelve Shi'a Imams. For albums named Pilgrim, see Pilgrim (album). ... Imam (Arabic: إمام) is an Arabic word meaning Leader. The ruler of a country might be called the Imam, for example. ... Imam Musa al Kazim (November 10, 745 - September 4, 799) was the seventh Shia Imam (he is not accepted by the Ismailis as the seventh Imam). ... The Shia Imam is considered by the Shia sect of Islam to be the rightful successor to Muhammad, and is similar to the Caliph in Sunni Islam only with regards to the aspect of political leadership. ...

Around the shrine rumours of an imminent suicide bomb attack broke out and panic spread and people flocked back towards the bridge, which had been closed. Somehow, the gate at their end of the bridge opened, and pilgrims flocked on. Some people fell from here to the concrete base and died instantly. The ensuing crush of people caused many to suffocate. The pressure of the crowd caused the bridge's iron railings to give way, dropping hundreds of people 9 meters (about 30 feet) into the Tigris river. There was nowhere on the bridge for the people to go, as the other end of the bridge remained closed, and was impossible to open anyway, as it opened inward. A suicide bombing is a bomb attack on people or property, committed by a person who knows the explosion will cause his or her own death (see suicide, suicide weapons). ... Tigris River in Mosul, Iraq The Tigris (Kurdish: Tîj / Tûj / Tîr , Old Persian: Tigrā-, Pahlavi: Tigr, Syriac: ܕܩܠܬ; Deqlath, Arabic: دجلة; Dijla, Turkish: Dicle, Hebrew: חדקל; ḥiddeqel) is the eastern member of the pair of great rivers that define Mesopotamia, along with the Euphrates, which flows from the mountains of...

Owing to the nature of the incident many of those who died were those who could be considered physically weakest, that is the elderly, women and children.

People dived in from both ends of the bridge trying to help those drowning in the river. On the Sunni side, calls went out from the loudspeakers of local Mosques to help those in trouble. One teenager, Othman Abdul Hafez, a sunni Arab from the other side of the bridge drowned as he rescued people in the water before succuming to exhaustion, he was later praised as a "Shahid" by Iraqi politicians.[1]

Tensions had been high within the crowd. Earlier in the day, seven people were killed and dozens more were wounded in a mortar attack upon the assembled crowd. An Al-Qaeda linked insurgent group later claimed responsibility.[2] US soldier firing an M224 60-mm mortar. ... Al-Qaeda (Arabic: القاعدة, the foundation or the base) is the name given to a worldwide network of militant Islamist organizations under the leadership of Osama bin Laden. ... An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority, by any irregular armed force that rises up against an enforced or established authority, government, or administration. ...

Interior Minister Bayan Baqir Solagh said that one person "pointed a finger at another person saying that he was carrying explosives... and that led to the panic". Baqer Solagh Jabor, also known as Bayan Jabr, is the current Iraqi Minister of Interior. ...

A three-day mourning period was announced by Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said the catastrophe "will leave a scar in our souls and will be remembered with those who died in the result of terror acts." The Prime Minister of Iraq is Iraqs head of government. ... Ibrahim al-Jaafari Dr. Ibrahim al-َAshaiqir al-Jaafari (Arabic: ) (born 1947) is the new Prime Minister of Iraq in the Iraqi Transitional Government following the elections of January 2005. ... The President of Iraq is Iraqs head of state and chief of government. ... Jalal Talabani (in Kurdish:ﻰﻧ ﺎﺑﻪﻟﺎﺗ ﻝﻻﻪﺟ /Celal Talebanî )(in Arabic: جلال طالباني: jalâl tâlabânî) (born 1933), Iraqi politician, was named President of Iraq on April 6, 2005 by the Iraqi National Assembly. ...

There was some political fallout also from the event, with Mutalib Mohammad Ali, The Minister for Health, blaming the Defence Ministers for not doing enough to secure the area, however, The Prime Minister dismissed any calls for resignation for any ministry.

After the stampede, a few commentators in the Western media speculated that given the scale of the incident it might tip the country into a civil war by antagonizing the Shi'a community. However, there was no immediate surge in sectarian violence. Opposition groups blamed the government and security forces for failing to prevent the incident. However, these groups themselves often encourage high turn-outs at religious events to prove the relative strength of their sect. Another factor leading to a high turn-out at Shi'a religious events is the fact such events were banned under Saddam Hussein, and so many attend to express faith in a way they were banned from doing for decades. A civil war is a war in which the competing parties within the same country or empire struggle for national control of state power. ... Shia Islam ( Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite or Shiite) is the second largest Islamic denomination; some 20-25% of all Muslims are said to follow a Shia tradition. ... Wikinews has news related to this article: Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein in a Suit Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti, (Arabic ), born April 28, 1937 , was President of Iraq from the year of 1979 until his removal and capture after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ...

Many of the dead were buried in the holy Shia Islamic town of Najaf. Najaf (Arabic: ) is a city in Iraq, about 160 km south of Baghdad, located at 31. ...

World reaction

Governments and world leaders have offered their condolences after the deadly stampede:

• Syrian Foreign ministry official quoted by state news agency Sana:

"The Syrian government and people express their sympathy to Iraqis and to the families of the victims, and they wait for the day when security, stability and progress reign in the country."

• Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi:

"[Iran offers its] condolences and sympathy with the Iraqi people and government. Suspicious hands are involved in conspiracies to incite violence and bloodshed among the different Iraqi groups and tribes so that they disturb the security and calm of the Iraqi people"

• UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, speaking on behalf of the EU and the UK - current holder of the EU presidency:

"It is still not clear exactly what started the stampede which led to these hundreds of deaths and injuries. However, it is clear that the same crowd of Shia pilgrims, celebrating an important Shia religious festival, had earlier suffered a mortar attack... I condemn utterly this despicable act of terrorism against innocent civilians just as I condemn, too, those that continue to use violence and terror more widely in order to further their aims in Iraq. The depravity of these individuals who commit these acts of terrorism against their fellow Muslims sadly knows no bounds."

• United States Department of State spokesman Sean McCormack:

"The United States deeply regrets the tragic loss of life of worshipers in Kadhimiya, Baghdad today... Our sincere condolences and thoughts and prayers go out to the many Iraqi families who lost loved ones in this tragedy."

• Amr Mussa , Arab League Secretary General

"[We need a] redoubling of Arab efforts to support the Iraqi people in their sad hour."

• Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf

"It is with most profound sadness and grief that I had learnt about the death of hundreds of pilgrims in Baghdad."

• UN spokeswoman Marie Okabe:

"The secretary general has learned with great sadness of the human tragedy that took place today in Baghdad."

A news agency is an organization of journalists established to supply news reports to organizations in the news trade: newspapers, magazines, and radio and television broadcasters. ... The title of Foreign Secretary has been traditionally used to refer to the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. ... Jack Straw The Right Honourable John Whitaker Jack Straw (born August 3, 1946, Buckhurst Hill) is a British Labour Party politician. ... The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, equivalent to foreign ministries in other countries. ... Amr Moussa Amr Moussa (Arabic: عمرو موسى, (born 1936) is an Egyptian diplomat and the current Arab League secretary-general, appointed in May 2001. ... Flag of the League of Arab States The Arab League or League of Arab States (Arabic: جامعة الدول العربية), is an organization of Arab states (compare Arab world). ... A large number of international organizations and other bodies have a secretary general or secretary-general as their chief administrative officers or in other administrative capacities. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article is about the United Nations, for other uses of UN see UN (disambiguation) Official languages English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic Secretary-General Kofi Annan (since 1997) Established October 24, 1945 Member states 191 Headquarters New York City, NY, USA Official site http://www. ...

External links

Wikinews has news related to this article:

Several hundred killed after stampede in Baghdad

• BBC News Iraq stampede deaths near 1,000
  • Iraq head defiant after stampede
• CNN : Iraq mourns 965 stampede victims
• Reuters: Iraq mourns as stampede loss overshadows war
• The Times: Panicked pilgrims were crushed or leapt for their lives into Tigris
• The Guardian: A cry of suicide bomber, and 700 perish in Iraq stampede
  • 'They were crying to be rescued. But there was no way to help them. It was survival'

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