Civil defense teams recovered a submerged taxi after it overturned and fell into a river in Shatt al-Arab district, killing two children and their driver.
Car plunges into Basra river, killing driver and two children
BASRA – Two children and their driver were killed Sunday when their car overturned and fell into a branch of the river in Jazirat al-Rabi’a in Shatt al-Arab district, east of Basra, security officials said.
A security source told 964media, “The accident occurred as they were returning from school after finishing their exams, when the driver lost control of the vehicle, causing it to veer off the road and into the river, leading to the drowning of those inside.”
Civil defense teams recovered the bodies of the victims along with the submerged vehicle. Authorities have opened an investigation into the cause of the crash.
In June, Iraq’s Ministry of Planning reported a 10% decrease in traffic fatalities in 2024 compared with the previous year. The annual report recorded 11,763 incidents nationwide outside the Kurdistan Region, including 2,103 fatal crashes that caused 2,719 deaths, down from 3,019 in 2023. Men accounted for 82% of the fatalities, with 2,235 deaths.
Traffic accidents injured 11,896 people in 2024, a 3.4% decline from the previous year. Despite the decrease, officials say poor infrastructure, speeding, distracted driving, and weak enforcement remain major risks.