Oh Jesus. Over 647 Iraqis killed as Tigris bridge fails.

[WilliamPitt]

At Least 647 Shiite Pilgrims Killed in Accident on Tigris Bridge

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 31 - At least 647 people were killed today when a railing on a bridge over the Tigris River collapsed during a religious procession by thousands of Shiite pilgrims, an Interior Ministry official said. There were unconfirmed reports that the crowd may have panicked after rumors spread that a suicide bomber was preparing to blow himself up, news agencies said.

After the collapse, thousands of people raced to the banks of the river to look for survivors. At least 301 people were injured, the ministry official said.

Earlier, a mortar and rocket attack killed several civilians near the Imam Musa al-Kadim mosque, to which the pilgrims were marching, a United States military statement said. American helicopters fired on the attackers, and coalition forces raced to the scene.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/31/international/middleeast/31cnd-iraq.html?hp&ex=1125547200&en=1e125247f2949d01&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[wndycty]

1. Words escape me. . .

:kick:

[demnan]

2. Since they really don't have a country anymore

I guess you can't expect them to have crowd control.

[sniffa]

3. mmmm mmmmm, this cake is good

want some cake? heh heh heh heh.

[staticstopper]

4. It feels like the gates of hell

are being opened...:cry:

As occupiers aren't we suppose to insure the security of the nations we invade? Have we created all this panic and disarray?

We are feeling it that home too, with the non-response from our gov. over the disaster in the Gulf Coast states. :cry:

[DoYouEverWonder]

10. That's what happens

when you put in power a man who loves death and destruction. He will not lift a finger to help, he's too busy learning how to play guitar.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

5. I had to turn CNN off.

This is just awful, those poor people :cry:

[Sabriel]

6. Many headlines use "stampede" to describe

Hey, let's dehumanize them a bit more, shall we?

[H2O Man]

8. "Stampede"

is the appropriate word. It means, among other things, a movement of a large number of people as the result of a common impulse.

[underpants]

7. Religous ceremony-rumor-panic-police blockade-shots fired-PANIC

That's your synopsis right there and I don't mean to blame the religous ceremony either.

But hey, at least they aren't looting.

[sundog]

16. ding

nice one underpants :thumbsup:

on edit, this is sad news & i don't trust what the msm outlets are telling us about it... you'll only get the candy-coated version :(

[Libby2]

9. I'm at a loss for words

[bklyncowgirl]

11. If you lived in Iraq you'd panic at suicide bomber rumors too.

Those poor people.

Good God, what have we done.

[etherealtruth]

14. It is so horrible ...

and as you stated,"what have we done?" We certainly set the stage and queued the actors for so much tragedy to occur there!

[Roland99]

12. OMG that's awful!!

damn.


:(

[yvr girl]

13. After living a couple of years in a perpetual state of fear

it is no wonder there was a panic. Bush is 'making things safe for democracy' - too bad it isn't safe for the people.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

15. dear god...HOW LONG? How long.....must the people endure BUSH*???