Chlorine gas leak in Karbala leaves over 600 needing treatment

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Ministry of Health on Sunday reported that 621 people required treatment following a chlorine gas leak in Karbala on Saturday, a major religious and cultural center.

Ministry spokesperson Seif al-Badr said, “All the injured received the necessary treatment and left the hospitals in good health without complications.”

Millions of Shia Muslims are visiting Karbala and Najaf to commemorate Arbaeen, marking the end of the 40-day mourning period for Imam Hussein.

The Higher Security Committee for Mass Pilgrimage Visits said most cases were mild and quickly handled by civil defense and emergency medical teams. The leak originated from a water department facility on the Karbala–Najaf road near pole 1200 and was brought under full control without major damage.

On Saturday, Karbala Governor Nassif al-Khattabi confirmed “full control of the chlorine gas leak in the Karbala Unified Sewer Project between Karbala and Najaf governorates.” He said there were no deaths or serious injuries and praised “the role of civil defense and emergency medical teams for their quick response.”

Chlorine gas leaks have been a common occurrence in Iraq over the past year. On June 30, 2024, a leak at a water treatment plant in the Jubail neighborhood of Fallujah’s Salah Al-Din district caused inhalation issues for 75 people, who were treated at Fallujah Teaching Hospital. Officials attributed the incident to damage to one of the plant’s pipes. On October 13, 2024, a leak at the central Bani Saad water project in Diyala governorate led to 20 cases of asphyxiation and poisoning. Authorities said the leak came from two corroded gas cylinder valves, and civil defense teams contained it by submerging the cylinders in water basins.