Earlier, Iraqi police reported that four Iranian pilgrims had been killed in the incident.
However, AFP reported that 14 Iranians, including two women, were killed in the accident when the Iraqi bus crashed head-on into the Iranian tour bus, which flipped over.
"We received 17 bodies," Dr. Ali al-Shammari of Hilla hospital told AFP, adding that 14 were Iranians.
The crash occurred on the main highway connecting Hilla to Najaf.
At least 53 people were injured on the two buses. Forty-one of them were on their way to the holy city of Najaf.
Every day, thousands of Muslim visit Najaf and Iraq's other major Shia shrines in Samarra and Karbala.
The shrine of Imam Ali (PBUH) is located in Najaf and the shrine of Imam Hussein (PBUH) is located in Karbala.
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