Kerman
“We’ll give our lives for General Soleimani and we’ll avenge him,” said the survivor of a stampede that crushed to death dozens of mourners in the Iranian city of Kerman.
Citizens thronged Qasem Soleimani’s hometown on Tuesday, many of them baying for blood to avenge the US air strike that killed the Iranian military commander.
But the solemn funeral procession turned tragic when crowds overwhelmed the streets, leading to a crush that claimed more than 50 lives and forced the postponement of the general’s burial.
“People rushed at us so hard that I had to run away, but a bike went over my foot and broke it,” Arsalan Farzamimoqadam, a 28-year-old survivor, told AFP at a Kerman hospital.
“America can’t do a damn thing, and we’ll get our revenge,” he added, seemingly undeterred about the deadly chaos as he groaned in pain.
A hugely popular figure in Iran, Soleimani was killed Friday in a US drone strike in Baghdad.
The assassination ordered by US President Donald Trump triggered a fresh spike in tensions between Tehran and Washington and raised fears of a new Middle East war.
Outside Kerman’s Bahonar hospital a woman wailed uncontrollably after losing a loved one, with her family trying to console her. Nearby, a nurse cried with joy as her teenage son — presumed to be missing in the ceremony — was found by friends and returned to her. An enormous sea of people dressed in black brought Kerman to a standstill, mirroring scenes already witnessed in Ahvaz, Tehran, Qom and Mashhad. “No compromise, no submission, revenge!” they yelled as they tried to catch a glimpse of Soleimani’s coffin.–AP
