This image grab from a UGC video posted on November 17, 2022, reportedly shows Iranian protesters starting a fire at the family home of the founder of the Islamic republic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, now a museum, in the central Iranian city of Khomein. (Photo by - / ESN / AFP) / Israel OUT - NO Resale / NO USE AFTER NOVEMBER 28, 2022 22:00:00 GMT - ISRAEL OUT - NO RESALE / ATTN CLIENTS: THE FOLLOWING VIDEO WAS OBTAINED AND VERIFIED BY EUROVISION SOCIAL NETWORK [ESN] BASED IN GENEVA
XGTY/RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT AFP - SOURCE: HENGAW / ESN /- NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS /NO RESALE/ NO ACCESS ISRAEL MEDIA/PERSIAN LANGUAGE TV STATIONS/ OUTSIDE IRAN/ STRICTLY NO ACCESS BBC PERSIAN/ VOA PERSIAN/ MANOTO-1 TV/ IRAN INTERNATIONAL/RADIO FARDA - AFP IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DIGITAL ALTERATIONS TO THE PICTURE'S EDITORIAL CONTENT - ATTN CLIENTS: THE FOLLOWING VIDEO WAS OBTAINED AND VERIFIED BY EUROVISION SOCIAL NETWORK [ESN] BASED IN GENEVA
XGTY/RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT AFP - SOURCE: HENGAW / ESN /- NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS /NO RESALE/ NO ACCESS ISRAEL MEDIA/PERSIAN LANGUAGE TV STATIONS/ OUTSIDE IRAN/ STRICTLY NO ACCESS BBC PERSIAN/ VOA PERSIAN/ MANOTO-1 TV/ IRAN INTERNATIONAL/RADIO FARDA - AFP IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DIGITAL ALTERATIONS TO THE PICTURE'S EDITORIAL CONTENT /
Eleven people were killed and more than 3,500 injured during celebrations for Iran’s traditional fire festival ahead of the Persian New Year, state media reported Wednesday.
The fire festival, called Chaharshanbe Suri in Farsi, is celebrated every year on the night of the last Tuesday of the Iranian calendar year, which ends on March 20.
“Since February 20, 26 people have died in incidents related to Chaharchanbe Suri,” including at least 11 on the day of the event along with more than 3,550 injured, emergency services chief Jafar Miadfar told state television.
During the festival, participants jump over bonfires to purify themselves and ward off evil spirits, while chanting “I give you my yellow colour” (indicator of disease) and “I take your red colour” (symbol of life).
The festival is part of Iran’s pre-Islamic heritage and generally frowned upon by the Shiite clerical establishment.
But it is popular with young people, many of whom make their own fireworks for the event, a practice that sometimes results in injury or even death.
[ad unit=2]
