Six mourners die of suffocation

Six people suffocated to death during the ‘Shama Gul’ procession of Muharram in Rohri town. Several people suffocated in the narrow alleys of Rohri while paying respect to Zareeh-i-Aqdas during the historic 550-year-old Shama Gul (lights off) procession in humid weather, police said.

Rohri, a small city on the bank of Indus opposite Sukkur has quite narrow alleyways. Humid weather added to the deadly tragedy. Thousands of mourners come from across the country to Rohri every year to participate in the historic mourning procession of Muharram.

In the procession, at midnight, lights are put out and proceedings carried on in darkness in accordance with centuries-old tradition during which the faithful offer prayers in silence as a mark of respect for the martyrs of Karbala.

The mourning procession passes through its traditional route through Shahi Bazaar, National Bank Chowk, Chabotra Chowk, Dhak Bazaar, Gajwani Muhalla and Wichoro Chowk, terminating at Dargah Haider Shah Haqani at Karbala Chowk. The next day’s procession begins from Karbala Chowk and, after passing through the GT Road, ends at the graveyard behind Rohri railway station.

Hanif Samoon is a senior journalist based at Thar/Badin and contributes reports from different districts of Sindh to Minute Mirror. He has won a number of awards, including the Agahi Award twice for his stories on health and child rights. He tweets @HanifSamoon1 and can be reached through email at [email protected]