Three killed in traffic incident on a Ranya-Koya road

RAPARIN — Three people were killed and two others injured in a traffic incident late Friday night on the Bestana road, which lies between Sulaymaniyah’s Raparin administration and Koya district in Erbil, officials told 964media.

Hiwa Warti, a forensic medical official in Ranya, said, “All three victims were young men,” adding that authorities are “awaiting the arrival of their families to hand over the bodies.”

Ali Abdullah, a spokesperson for the Raparin traffic department, said the crash occurred between a passenger car and a truck.

Traffic-related deaths remain a pressing issue in Sulaymaniyah. Officials reported 111 fatalities in the first half of 2024. The Sulaymaniyah Traffic Directorate recorded 1,047 accidents in 2023, leaving 153 dead and 1,887 injured.

Nationwide figures from Iraq’s Ministry of Planning show a 10% decline in traffic deaths in 2024 compared with the previous year. The annual report listed 11,763 incidents across governorates outside the Kurdistan Region, including 2,103 fatal crashes that killed 2,719 people, down from 3,019 in 2023. Men accounted for 82% of those fatalities.

Although overall numbers fell, authorities say speeding, poor infrastructure, distracted driving, and weak enforcement remain key causes of deadly accidents.