Death toll from Ashura rituals in Iraq's Karbala climbs to 31 with 100 more wounded

Iraqi Shi'ite Muslims burn a tent as they re-enact a scene from the 7th century battle of Kerbala

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - At least 31 people died and another 100 were wounded on Tuesday during the Shi’ite Muslim religious rituals of Ashura in the Iraqi city of Karbala, a Health Ministry spokesman said, offering no details as to how they died.

Ashura marks the day when, according to Islamic tradition, the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) grandson Imam Hussain was killed in battle in the year 680. Shi’ite Muslim pilgrims from around the world converge each year on Karbala, the site of the battle.