Two deadly road accidents leave three dead in Ramadi and Basra 

BASRA — Three people were killed and at least two others injured Sunday in separate road accidents in Anbar and Basra, according to security sources.

In Ramadi, an elderly woman died and two people were injured when a Toyota Camry veered off course on the highway and struck the median strip.

Police and civil defense teams transferred the injured to hospital and sent the victim’s body to the forensic department.

In Basra’s Al-Sadiq district, a collision on Al-Ilm Street between a black truck and a white Kia Optima caused the truck to overturn, killing its driver and a passenger. The Optima’s occupants survived with the vehicle sustaining partial damage. Security forces opened an investigation, with initial findings pointing to the force of impact as the cause of the truck’s destruction.

In early June, the Ministry of Planning reported a 10% decrease in traffic fatalities in 2024 compared to the previous year. The annual report recorded 11,763 traffic incidents across all governorates 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.

Despite the decline in fatalities in 2024, officials continue to cite serious challenges. Neglect, conflict-related damage, and long-standing corruption have left much of Iraq’s transportation infrastructure in poor condition, compounding risks already elevated by speeding, distracted driving, and insufficient enforcement.