Six family members killed in Dhi Qar highway crash with fuel tanker

DHI QAR — Six members of one family were killed Tuesday when their private car collided with a fuel tanker on the highway linking Dhi Qar and Basra near Suq al-Shuyukh Bridge, a security source told 964media.

“The accident occurred on the highway between Dhi Qar and Basra near Suq al-Shuyukh Bridge, involving a vehicle type Obama and a tanker,” the source said.

The car caught fire after the crash, killing all six passengers inside — a mother, father, and their four children from Basra Governorate. Their bodies were transferred to the forensic medicine department. Authorities have opened an investigation.

Iraq’s Ministry of Planning said on June 4 that traffic deaths dropped 10% in 2024 compared with the previous year. The Central Bureau of Statistics recorded 11,763 accidents nationwide, excluding the Kurdistan Region, including 2,103 fatal crashes that left 2,719 people dead. Men accounted for 82% of fatalities.

The report said collisions made up 58% of all accidents, followed by pedestrian incidents at 33% and rollovers at 7.5%. Driver error was blamed for 78% of crashes, while the rest were linked to vehicle issues and pedestrian mistakes. More than half of the incidents happened on main roads, 23% on highways, and 18.5% on side roads.