Iraq has begun three days of official mourning for the 965 people killed during a stampede during a Shi'ite religious festival in Baghdad yesterday.
The tragedy occurred when thousands of Shi'ite pilgrims stampeded on a bridge over the Tigris River because of a fear of sectarian attacks by Sunni insurgents.
Despite mortar attacks earlier in the day, a spokesman for Iraq's Prime Minister, Ibrahim Jaafari, said he did not believe there was a conspiracy to cause panic among the pilgrims.
The stampede represents the largest single loss of life in Iraq since the US-led invasion began more than two years ago.
Around 815 people were injured in the stampede and some 200 are still in hospital.
