Bodies recovered from debris after landslide struck Iraq shrine

• Emergency personnel are rushing to save victims from a fallen Shia shrine in Iraq.
• Six survivors have so far been rescued from the wreckage, compared to four bodies.
• Many others are thought to still be trapped under the rubble of the Qattarat al-Imam Ali shrine.

Emergency personnel are rushing to save victims from a fallen Shia shrine in central Iraq. Six survivors have so far been rescued from the wreckage, compared to four bodies that have been discovered. Many others are thought to still remain trapped.

On Saturday, moisture saturation caused a dirt mound next to the Qattarat al-Imam Ali shrine to cave in.

The shrine’s ceiling was struck by the landslide, which caused it to collapse onto the guests.

Abdelrahman Jawdat, a spokesman for civil defence, warned that “Any mistake could lead to further collapses,”

Those still inside have been allowed to receive food and drink from workers. Among the people who were recovered are three youngsters.

According to Iraqi News Agency (INA), teams are attempting to reach individuals through “small holes in the large collapsed concrete blocks.”

Barham Saleh, the president of Iraq, posted a message on Twitter urging rescuers and volunteers to make every effort to free those who are still trapped.

Shia Muslims believe their first imam Ali ibn Abi Talib and his army once halted at the shrine’s location in Iraq’s Karbala region to drink from a spring of water.

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