Khamenei’s funeral will last for 7 days, crores of people are gathering, if the situation worsens, there could be so many deaths, how prepared is Iran?

Crowds are gathering on the streets of Tehran. Lakhs of people are reaching from mosques to big intersections. The government is preparing to turn it into the largest state funeral in the history of the country. But there is a fear hidden behind this huge event, due to which the Iranian administration is fearing the death of 1500 to 300 people. It has forced us to prepare a complete disaster management strategy in advance.

According to foreign media reports, the Iranian administration has expressed apprehension that if the crowd goes out of control, extreme heat and a stampede-like situation is created, then 3000 people may lose their lives. However, these claims have not been independently verified and the Iranian government has not publicly confirmed any such plans.

What is the whole matter?

A report in German newspaper WELT claims that Iran’s disaster management agencies and Red Crescent officials have made special preparations for a possible emergency during the funeral. According to the report, the administration has planned to keep a large number of ambulances, medical teams, rescue workers and dead body management arrangements ready in advance. The report also claimed that preparations for additional graves have been made in Behesht-e-Zahra, Tehran’s largest cemetery. However, independent verification of these claims is not available.

The funeral will last for 7 days

According to the report, the funeral program is being organized in several phases. It started from Tehran. After this, tribute programs are proposed in the religious city of Qom, then Najaf and Karbala in Iraq. Finally, it is said that the burial process will be completed in Mashhad. This is the reason why the entire program is being considered as a huge state event lasting for several days.

Claim of arrival of crores of people, but questions on figures

It is being claimed from Iranian government circles that crores of people are involved. However, such a large number has not been independently confirmed. Analysts say that during major government events in Iran, crowd figures are often presented for the purpose of conveying political messages.

High alert in Tehran, thousands of buses and round-the-clock transport

• According to the report, arrangements for security and traffic management have been made on a large scale in the capital.
• Thousands of buses have been put on special duty.
• There are preparations to run metro and bus services 24 hours.
• Movement may be limited in many areas.
• Schools, mosques and public buildings have been prepared to accommodate people coming from outside.
• Temporary community kitchens and medical centers are also being built.

History has already warned

Iran has already seen tragedies like stampedes during funerals. In 2020, dozens of people were killed and hundreds were injured in a stampede in a huge crowd during the funeral of military commander Qasim Sulemani. Earlier in 1989, incidents of chaos and stampede were also reported at the funeral of Ruhollah Khomeini. In view of these incidents, this time the administration is considering crowd control as the biggest challenge.

Not just funeral, but also political message

The report also said that during the funeral, several radical groups held public meetings, where anti-America and Israel slogans were raised. At some places, there has been a demand to express anger against the officials and adopt a strict stance. In some videos viral on social media, claims of people being seen with weapons and aggressive speeches have also been made. However, all these videos could not be independently verified.

Expensive event amid economic crisis

According to the report, it is estimated that crores of euros will be spent on this multi-city funeral. This includes security, transportation, medical, food, accommodation and other arrangements. For this reason, the debate has intensified within the country regarding the cost of this event and the use of government resources.

The biggest challenge is crowd or politics?

The biggest question facing Iran at present is not just to conduct the last rites peacefully. Crowds of millions of people, extreme heat, security risks, regional tensions and political messages – all are turning this event into one of the most sensitive state events in the world. At present, the administration is claiming extensive preparations, while the eyes of the world are fixed on whether such a huge event can be completed without any major accident or not.