Soleimani funeral delayed due to massive crowds, as mourners die in crush

Iranian authorities have postponed the burial of the slain Quds Force commander amid reports of dozens of deaths from a stampede at a mourning procession.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab & agencies

07 January, 2020

Authorities have not specified when the burial will take place [Getty]

The burial of one of Iran's top military commanders Qasem Soleimani has been delayed due to massive crowds in his hometown of Kerman in southeastern Iran, Press TV reported.

The state-funded news outlet's report gave no details of when the funeral will take place.

A stampede erupted on Tuesday at a funeral procession for a the slain general, killing 50 people and injuring 212 others, state television reported.

According to the report, the stampede took place in Kerman as the procession got underway. Initial videos posted online showed people lying lifeless on a road and others shouting and trying to help them.

Iranian state TV gave the casualty toll in its online report, citing Pirhossein Koulivand, the head of Iran's emergency medical services.

"Unfortunately, as a result of the stampede, some of our compatriots have been injured and some have been killed during the funeral processions," he earlier said.

A procession in Tehran on Monday drew over 1 million people in the Iranian capital, crowding both main thoroughfares and side streets in Tehran.

Soleimani's death has sparked calls across Iran for revenge against America for a slaying that's drastically raised tensions across the Middle East.

The US government warned ships of an unspecified threat from Iran across all the Middle East's waterways, crucial routes for global energy supplies.