Baghdad–Kirkuk route restored after severe flooding

Shafaq News – Kirkuk

Iraq’s Civil Defense reopened the Baghdad–Kirkuk highway on Tuesday after flooding forced a temporary closure at the Daquq bridge near the Haftkhar junction.

In a statement on Facebook, the directorate said its teams used heavy machinery to clear accumulated water and reopen the key road linking Baghdad to northern provinces.

Earlier today, severe flooding hit southeastern Kirkuk. Laylan sub-district director Mohammed Al-Moussawi told Shafaq News that rescue teams evacuated seven families in Yaromja and Zindana after rising water surrounded several homes. He reported that eight secondary bridges were overtopped, briefly affecting movement but sustaining no structural damage.

Floodwaters also disrupted the Baghdad–Kirkuk road near Tuz Khurmatu in Saladin province and blocked the Kirkuk–Al-Sulaymaniyah route in Chamchamal, according to local sources.

The storm system that moved across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region brought the season’s strongest rainfall following years of drought. Authorities issued public safety advisories as water levels rose, while several provinces and districts adjusted schedules and suspended classes.

Despite local disruptions, officials and agricultural departments described the rainfall as a significant boost to water basins, soil moisture, and early-season crop conditions.

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