Preparations are being made on a large scale for the last journey of former Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei. According to a report in the German newspaper Die Welt, Iranian officials have feared that 1,500 to 3,000 people may die due to incidents like huge crowd, heat and stampede during the last farewell. Keeping this possibility in mind, the government has already started emergency arrangements.
The report claims that Iran’s Red Crescent and National Crisis Management Organization have informed Vice President Mohammad Reza Arif about the possible threat in a confidential letter. The Iranian government claims that about 2 crore people can attend the last journey in Tehran alone. In view of this, the Tehran administration has created a separate special unit for the dead and missing people. Thousands of new graves have also been prepared in advance in the Behesht-e-Zahra cemetery of the capital.
Will be laid to rest in Mashhad on 9th July
Ali Khamenei was killed in an air strike by America and Israel on 28 February. He will be laid to rest in Mashhad on 9th July. Before this, his mortal remains will be taken for a week through Tehran, Qom and major religious places of Shia religion like Najaf and Karbala in Iraq. Till July 6, his body will be kept in the Grand Prayer Hall of Tehran for the last glimpse.
According to the report, to control the crowd, 24-hour free metro and bus service will be run in Tehran. Thousands of buses have been deployed. Schools and mosques have been prepared to accommodate people coming from outside. Security has been increased in the city and transportation and air services may also be affected in some areas. It is reported that the three-day event in Tehran alone is estimated to cost around $17 million.
Accidents have happened during funerals before too
Iran is extra cautious this time because accidents have happened at large funerals in the past also. In 2020, 56 people died and more than 200 were injured in a stampede at the funeral of IRGC commander Qasim Suleimani. In 1989, at least 8 people died and more than 11 thousand people were injured during the funeral of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
The report also says that the government is worried not only about the crowd but also about internal political tension. Some fundamentalist groups are opposing the recent peace agreement with America. In such a situation, the government does not want to take any risk regarding security arrangements during the last farewell.
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