Tanker driver dies in fiery crash on Ramadi Highway

ANBAR — A tanker loaded with fuel overturned and caught fire Wednesday after a collision on the highway near Hamidiya, east of Ramadi, Anbar, killing its driver, security sources said.

According to the sources, the fatal crash occurred when the driver of a white Corolla lost control of the vehicle at high speed and struck the tanker. The impact forced the tanker off course, causing it to overturn and ignite.

Civil defense teams arrived to extinguish the blaze, while an ambulance transferred the tanker driver’s body to the hospital. The Corolla sustained material damage in the crash.

Traffic incidents remain a major concern across the country. Two people were killed and four others injured in separate traffic incidents in Tuz Khurmatu and Baiji districts on Tuesday.

In June 2025, Iraq’s Ministry of Planning announced a 10% decrease in traffic fatalities in 2024 compared with 2023. The annual report recorded 11,763 incidents across all governorates excluding the Kurdistan Region, including 2,103 fatal crashes that caused 2,719 deaths, down from 3,019 in 2023. Men accounted for 82% of fatalities, with 2,235 deaths.