One dead, three injured in traffic incident on Kirkuk–Erbil road

NEWSROOM — One person was killed and three others injured Wednesday in a traffic incident on the Kirkuk–Erbil Road near the Shwan junction, according to a police source from the Arafah station speaking to 964media.

The source said a pickup truck collided with a truck carrying concrete blocks. The impact resulted in the death of one individual and injuries to three others.

Ali Ahmed, an eyewitness at the scene, told 964media the crash was caused by speeding. “The person sitting in the front seat died, and the driver along with two others were seriously injured,” he said. The injured were transferred to Azadi Hospital.

According to Iraq’s Ministry of Planning, 11,763 traffic incidents recorded in 2024 across all governorates in Iraq excluding the Kurdistan Region. Of these, 2,103 were classified as fatal, resulting in 2,719 deaths — down from 3,019 in 2023. Men accounted for the majority of fatalities, with 2,235 deaths, or roughly 82% of the total.