Tourist bus crash in Sulaymaniyah kills four, injures seven

SULAYMANIYAH — Four people were killed and seven others injured Tuesday when a tourist bus overturned near the Chami Rezan area of Sulaymaniyah, local police said.

A Dukan Police source told 964media the crash occurred around 4 p.m. as the bus was traveling from Bazian toward Dukan. The injured were transferred to Sulaymaniyah hospitals for treatment.

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.