Two schoolchildren killed in tragic Basra traffic accident

BASRA – Two elementary school students tragically lost their lives in a traffic incident on Monday in the Al-Shafi subdistrict, north of Basra, along the Basra-Amarah Road.

Saeed Al-Shawi, director of Al-Shafi subdistrict, confirmed to 964media that the accident occurred as students were leaving Al-Jawadain Elementary School. Traffic officers had been guiding students across the road when a Kia truck, loaded with wooden planks, veered off the road and onto the sidewalk, striking the children on its return route toward Al-Qurna.

“Although the traffic officers had successfully guided the students to the final sidewalk, the driver’s sudden intrusion resulted in running over two students, causing their immediate death,” Al-Shawi said. The students’ bodies were transferred to Al-Qurna Public Hospital.

The truck driver claimed that a “sudden mechanical failure” led to the accident. Further details are yet to be revealed.

The Basra Education Directorate expressed deep sorrow, releasing an official statement: “With profound sadness, the General Directorate of Education in Basra mourns the loss of students Zahraa Hamza Hamad and Shareefa Manaf Hashem, second-grade students at Al-Jawadain Elementary School, who tragically lost their lives in a sorrowful traffic accident.”

In April, another tragic incident claimed the lives of six students and injured 14 others when a truck rammed into children leaving Zaynab Primary School in Al-Hartha. Footage of the horrific accident went viral, showing textbooks scattered alongside the victims’ remains.

Traffic fatalities are an increasing concern across Iraq. In 2023, 3,019 deaths from traffic accidents were recorded, nearing the previous year’s total. The Ministry of Planning attributed 79% of these incidents to driver error. Additionally, 12,314 injuries were reported from traffic accidents in 2023, a slight decrease from 12,677 in 2022. Causes included mechanical failures, poor road conditions, and pedestrian behavior.