Car crash in Najaf claims life of religious cleric

NAJAF — Sheikh Alaa Al-Ghazi, a religious cleric, died on Saturday evening in a traffic incident on Al-Hawali Street in Najaf.

Eyewitness Yassin Ahmed told 964media, “The incident occurred on Al-Hawali Street when Sheikh Alaa Al-Ghazi, driving his vehicle, attempted to make a turn and collided with another vehicle.”

Ahmed added that Sheikh Al-Ghazi succumbed to his injuries shortly after arriving at the hospital.

The eyewitness noted that the section of the road from Karbala towards the overpasses lacks proper lighting, contributing to frequent traffic incidents.

Traffic accidents continue to be a major concern in Iraq. Yesterday, a traffic incident on the Daquq-Tuz Khurmatu Road left nine civilians injured, with three in critical condition.

Iraq’s Ministry of Health reported on Jan. 1 that 564 injuries occurred during New Year’s celebrations across the country. Of these, 203 were by traffic incidents.

In 2023, excluding the Kurdistan Region, the country recorded 11,552 traffic accidents, leading to 3,019 fatalities and 12,314 injuries. This represents a slight rise from 2022, which saw 11,523 accidents and 3,021 deaths. Driver error was responsible for nearly 79% of these incidents, while vehicle defects and poor road conditions contributed to the rest.