A scene of a traffic incident on the Kalar-Darbandikhan road on Tuesday, where one person lost their life and three others were injured. (Photo: Garmian Traffic Directorate)
Collision
One dead, three injured in traffic incident on Kalar-Darbandikhan ‘Death Road’
KALAR — A traffic incident on the Kalar-Darbandikhan road, Sulaymaniyah province, on the last day of 2024 resulted in one fatality and three injuries, with the wounded transported to a hospital for treatment.
Saman Ali, spokesperson for the Garmian Traffic Directorate, told 964media, “Today, Tuesday, two vehicles, a Toyota Camry and a Toyota Pickup, collided near the village of Lawawan while traveling from Kalar towards the Darbandikhan district. The accident resulted in one fatality and three injuries, with the injured transferred to Shaheed Mala Ahmad Hospital in Bawenoor sub-district.”
Ali added that based on the initial assessment, “The Toyota Camry collided with the Toyota Pickup from behind, leading to the incident.”
The victim was identified as Ahmed Rahim, born in 1957, and a passenger in the pickup truck.
Ali confirmed that Garmian Traffic teams have launched an investigation into the incident.
The Kalar-Darbandikhan road, often referred to as the “Death Road,” is notorious for frequent and fatal traffic accidents each year.
Traffic statistics from the first six months of this year in Sulaymaniyah show 111 fatalities, according to a source from the city’s Traffic Police Department.
Karwan Mohammed, an official at the Sulaymaniyah Traffic Directorate, told 964media that current projections indicate traffic-related deaths this year could exceed those of previous years. He pointed to the absence of a comprehensive traffic management plan as a key factor contributing to the rising trend.
He also noted that in 2023, the Sulaymaniyah Traffic Directorate recorded 1,047 traffic incidents, resulting in 153 fatalities and 1,887 injuries.
Traffic incidents remain a persistent issue across Iraq. The country’s Ministry of Planning reported 3,019 fatalities from road incidents in 2023, excluding the Kurdistan Region, with 79% attributed to driver error. Additionally, 12,314 injuries were recorded last year, a slight decline from the 12,677 reported in 2022. Other factors contributing to these accidents include mechanical failures, poor road conditions, and unsafe pedestrian behavior.
