Bus crash in Iraq’s Dhi Qar leaves 21 people dead

Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Dhi Qar (Updated at 21:40)

At least 21 people were killed and 19 others injured when a passenger bus carrying visitors from Basra caught fire on a highway near al-Bathaa district in southern Iraq’s Dhi Qar province on Sunday.

Health Ministry spokesperson Saif al-Badr stated in a voice message that several bodies were severely burned and transferred to forensic authorities for identification, while the injured, including two Iranian nationals, were taken to nearby healthcare facilities.

Dhi Qar Traffic Director Brig. Gen. Ziyad al-Hasouna told Shafaq News that driver fatigue caused the incident, clarifying that the driver fell asleep at the wheel, veered into a truck and a concrete barrier, and lost control of the vehicle.

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi instructed relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident and provide support to those affected and the families of the victims.

Road accidents continue to claim thousands of lives in Iraq each year due to deteriorating infrastructure, speeding, vehicle defects, and weak enforcement of traffic regulations. Health authorities in Diyala alone recorded about 90 deaths and more than 2,000 injuries during the first four months of 2026.

Nationwide, Iraq registered 11,763 road incidents and 2,719 fatalities in 2024, with driver error accounting for 78% of cases.