More than 600 in Iraq were briefly hospitalized with respiratory problems after inhaling chlorine as the result of a leak at a water treatment station, authorities said Sunday.
The incident took place overnight on the route between the two religious cities of Najaf and Karbala, located in the center and south of Iraq respectively.
In a brief statement, Iraq's health ministry said "621 cases of asphyxia have been recorded following a chlorine gas leak in Karbala".
"All have received the necessary care and left hospital in good health," it said, AFP reported.
Security forces charged with protecting visitors meanwhile said the incident had been caused by "a chlorine leak from a water station on the Karbala-Najaf road".
Much of Iraq's infrastructure is in disrepair due to decades of conflict and corruption, with adherence to safety standards often lax.
In July, a massive fire at a shopping mall in the eastern city of Kut killed more than 60 people, many of whom suffocated in the toilets, according to authorities.
