14 students injured in Sulaymaniyah school trip bus crash

SULAYMANIYAH — A school bus carrying students from Sulaymaniyah overturned Wednesday evening near the Kune Masi picnic area in Sharbazher district, injuring 14 students, local officials said.

Farhad Salih, commissioner of Cwarta district, said the bus belonged to Brayati Primary School and had been returning from a school outing when the crash occurred. The students were from the Kareza Wishk neighborhood.

“The bus was carrying 20 students returning from a picnic in the Kune Masi area,” he said.

Saman Sheikh Latif, a spokesperson for the Sulaymaniyah Health Directorate, said the injured were being transported to the hospital. “Fourteen students were injured and are on way to be transported to the hospital,” he said. “None of the injuries are serious or life-threatening.”

Traffic officer Yasin Ahmed Afsat told 964media that the driver has been taken into custody and will be referred to the judiciary. He cited speed and inexperience as contributing factors. “Driving fast and driver inexperience caused the crash,” he said.