Two Iraqi Pilgrims Died in Car Crash en Route to Umrah

September 3, 2025

A tragic accident in the western Iraqi desert claims the lives of Erbil residents traveling by road to Mecca for pilgrimage.

Two Iraqi Pilgrims Died in Car Crash en Route to Umrah 2025'

Two Erbil pilgrims Faris Asinger (left) and Hamza Abdulkarim (center) died in western Iraq car crash Sept 2 2025 while traveling to Saudi for Umrah. Photo by Rudaw

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Key Takeaways:

Two dead and two severely injured.
Their car crashed in the Anbar province of Iraq.
Victims are Hamzah Abdulkarim, Sabah, Shukur and Faris Asinger.

Two Iraqi pilgrims from Erbil died and two others were seriously injured when their vehicle overturned in the western deserts of Iraq during a road journey to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah.

The victims, identified as Hamzah Abdulkarim and Sabah, were among four friends who had embarked on the spiritual trip early Wednesday, September 3, 2025.

According to Sardar Mohammed, the son-in-law of one of the deceased, the group—comprising Hamzah Abdulkarim, Sabah, Shukur, and Faris Asinger—left at midnight, aiming to reach Mecca.

Their journey was cut short when the car overturned in a remote area of Iraq’s Anbar province.

Mohammed traveled to the scene to recover the bodies, which will be transported to Ramadi, capital of Anbar province, and eventually handed over to their grieving families. The two survivors, Shukur and Faris, are receiving treatment for severe injuries.

Umrah pilgrims from neighboring countries often undertake long road journeys to Saudi Arabia, sometimes through perilous desert terrain.