Deputy governor of Anbar among four killed in late-night crash on Kirkuk-Tikrit highway

KIRKUK — A late-night crash on the Kirkuk-Tikrit highway claimed the lives of four individuals, including Sheikh Safaa Al-Rishawi, the deputy governor of Anbar.

The crash occurred Sunday night and involved a cement silo truck and a Toyota Land Cruiser GXR on the highway connecting Kirkuk to Tikrit, the administrative center of Salah Al-Din province. Among the deceased were Sheikh Safaa Al-Rishawi, two sons of former Anbar Provincial Council member Sheikh Sadiq Jamil Al-Dulaimi, identified as Raad and Omar, as well as their driver.

Adnan Ahmad, a medical professional at Azadi Hospital in Kirkuk, told 964media, “Four bodies were brought to our hospital, all severely burned and unrecognizable.”

Qais Ali Rabhawi, a driver on the Kirkuk-Tikrit route, reported that “the two-way road has been under renovation for three years and remains incomplete, leading to frequent accidents. We urge authorities to expedite the repair work.”

The accident comes just after another tragic weekend in Kirkuk. On Saturday night, three more people were killed and four others injured in two separate traffic incidents in the area.

Nationally, Iraq recorded over 3,262 traffic fatalities in 2023, excluding the Kurdistan Region, according to the Ministry of Planning. Driver error accounted for 56.4% of these incidents, with other contributing factors including vehicle malfunctions, road conditions, and pedestrian behavior.