Civil Defence Rescues Seven After Karbala Bridge Collapse; Investigation Ordered

Gulf News

Bridge collapse in Karbala, 6 September 2025.

Civil Defence teams in Iraq's holy city of Karbala have completed a complex rescue operation lasting more than 13 consecutive hours, saving seven people and recovering two bodies after the collapse of part of the Al-Atishi Bridge at the northern entrance to the governorate.

The Directorate of Civil Defence confirmed that the operation began at 6:30 pm on Saturday and continued into Sunday morning under highly difficult and dangerous conditions. The collapse of the low-rise bridge section caused multiple casualties and injuries.

In response to the incident, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani ordered an immediate investigation into the causes of the collapse in the Al-Hussainiya district.

Meanwhile, Mahfouz al-Tamimi, Deputy Chairman of the Karbala Provincial Council, announced on Sunday that arrest and investigation warrants had been issued against several individuals connected to the project.

According to Tamimi, the warrants targeted three engineers from the supervising government department, two engineers from the implementing company – including the project manager and supervising engineer – as well as the traffic officer present at the site of the accident.

Authorities have pledged that those responsible for the structural failure will be held accountable, amid growing public concern over safety standards in infrastructure projects across Iraq.




PUKMEDIA