On the Third Hand…

Hundreds dead in Baghdad stampede

At least 600 people have been killed in a stampede of Shia pilgrims in northern Baghdad, Iraqi officials say.

The incident happened on a bridge over the Tigris River as over a million Shias marched to a holy shrine as part of an annual religious festival.

It was sparked by rumours of suicide bombers in a crowd. In the ensuing panic many pilgrims were crushed and some fell into the river.