ISLAMABAD: A bus carrying Pakistani pilgrims to Iraq crashed in central Iran, killing at least 28 people and injuring 23, Iranian media reported on Wednesday.

Seventeen of the injured are in critical condition and are being treated at hospitals in Taft, Yazd and Abarukh, with arrangements being made to transfer them to Tehran for specialised care.

Six others with minor injuries have been discharged.

The bus, part ofa convoy of two, was travelling from Sindh province in Pakistan to the holy cityof Karbala in Iraq when it crashed near Taft, Iran, approximately halfway through the 1,100mile journey around 9:54pm, Iranian authorities said on Tuesday.

Preliminary police investigations suggest a braking system failure, exacerbated by high speed, caused the accident.

Survivors were quoted by Zeeshan Haider, a Pakistani who visited the injured in Taft Hospital, to have reported that the bus was old and had technical issues, and that they had alerted the driver to a burning smell before the crash. The driver allegedly ignored the warning and continued driving despite knowing aboutthefaultybrakes.Conflicting accounts have emerged about the crash`s final moments.

One version suggests the bus was signalled to stop at a check postbutfailed to do so due to faulty brakes, leading to a rollover. Another claims the speeding bus crashed while navigating a curve.

Iranian TV footage showed the bus veering into a dirt lot, narrowly missing bystanders before overturning.

Emergency responders worked through the night, illuminated by flashlights, with the yellow and red bus lying on its side, wheels in the air, and luggage compartments open.

According to Athar Shamsi, the group leader who was in the secondbus, an issue with their travel documents led to the ill-fated bus departing ahead of schedule, despite his advice to wait and travel together due to their shared group visa.

Pakistan`s Ambassador Mudassir Tipu, speaking from Tehran before leaving for Yazd, confirmed that legal processes for repatriating the dead and injured are underway. At the time of going to press, Iranian authorities had identified 17 of the 28 deceased pilgrims.

Tipu praised Iran`s cooperation in recovery efforts, with members of Pakistan`s diplomatic mission in Iran present in Yazd for coordination.

A late Wednesday evening meeting, chaired by the Yazd governor, discussed various repatriation options.

The meeting was attended by one of the Pakistan embassy officials. `Various options including repatriation by road were discussed, a source said.

Arbaeen marks the 40th day of mourning following the martyrdom of Imam Hussain in Karbala in 680AD (61 Hijri). Each year, millions of pilgrims journey to Karbala, with many marching almost 80km from Najaf to honour the legacy of the Holy Prophet`s (PBUH) family. Last year, some 22 million pilgrims attended the Arbaeen commemoration in Karbala.

A Crisis Management Unit has been established at the Foreign Office to facilitate the repatriation of the bodies.