KERMAN – A deadly stampede erupted during the funeral procession for Iranian commander General Qassem Soleimani in his hometown Kerman, leaving at least 50 people dead.
Millions of mourners thronged the streets in Iran’s southeastern city to attend a final funeral for the top defense strategist, who was assassinated by the US military during a visit to neighboring Iraq.
The procession was initially scheduled to culminate in the burial service for the general and one of his comrades, but officials announced that the rituals were postponed due to the overcrowding at the site which made it impossible to carry their remains to the cemetery where they would be laid to rest.
The burial ceremony has been canceled and is to be rescheduled at another date, which will be announced, officials said.
As millions packed the streets to mourn the celebrity general, images were even taken from space .
“OUT OF THIS WORLD Incredible images show Qasem Soleimani’s funeral from SPACE”, headlined Sun newspaper of London on Tuesday.
The remains of General Soleimani and Major General Hossein Pourjafari arrived at the Kerman airport early Tuesday, following massive funeral processions in the cities of Ahvaz, Mashhad, Tehran and Qom, as well as the Iraqi cities of Baghdad, Karbala and Najaf.
An estimated seven million mourners packed the 11-kilometer thoroughfare connecting the two Azadi (Freedom) and Imam Hossein squares as well as the intersecting side streets in the capital Tehran during Monday’s funeral, according to the Coordination Council for Islamic Propagation.
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