'Tire blowout'

Family of six killed in Tikrit highway crash as traffic tragedies mount in Iraq

SALAH AL-DIN — A tragic collision on the Tikrit highway in Salah Al-Din has claimed the lives of a couple and four of their children, while a fifth child remains in critical condition, according to eyewitnesses.

The fatal incident occurred near Al-Mishwar station when the front tire of the family’s Toyota Corolla burst. The sudden blowout caused the driver to lose control and veer into the opposite lane, where the car collided with an oil tanker. Eyewitnesses told 964media that the impact was devastating.

A fifth child survived the crash but was rushed to Tikrit Teaching Hospital in critical condition. Authorities have not yet released further details on the child’s condition or provided updates on the ongoing investigation.

Traffic incidents continue to be a major concern across Iraq. In a separate fatal collision in Anbar Governorate on Sunday, seven members of the same family lost their lives when a transport truck struck a pickup vehicle. In a statement, Anbar Traffic Police attributed the tragedy to excessive speed and the explosion of one of the pickup vehicle’s tires.

In 2023, Iraq—excluding the Kurdistan Region—reported 11,552 traffic accidents resulting in 3,019 deaths and 12,314 injuries, a slight increase from 2022. Officials noted that driver error was responsible for about 79% of these incidents, with vehicle defects and poor road conditions accounting for the remainder.