Death toll in Fallujah crash rises to 13

ANBAR — The death toll from a collision involving multiple vehicles on the highway between Saqlawiyah and central Fallujah rose to 13 on Wednesday, with five others injured, according to a medical source.

SWAT patrols from Anbar responded to the scene and transported the injured to Fallujah Hospital. Authorities have opened an investigation into the cause of the crash.

Fallujah Teaching Hospital received most of the victims, including eight charred bodies after a fire broke out inside one of the vehicles, the source told 964media.

The source said all medical and nursing staff were mobilized to treat the wounded, while the bodies were transferred to the forensic medicine department.

Earlier, a security source reported an initial toll of five dead and five injured, noting the figure was subject to increase.

Nationwide figures from Iraq’s Ministry of Planning show a 10 percent 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 percent of those fatalities.

Authorities say speeding, poor infrastructure, distracted driving and weak enforcement remain key causes of deadly accidents.

This article has been updated.