Six children dead, 14 injured in Iraq road accident


Children receive medical care at a hospital after six primary-school students were killed and 14 others were injured when a refrigerator truck veered into a group of children in Basra, Iraq April 2, 2024. REUTERS/Mohammed Aty

BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) - Six primary-school students were killed and 14 others were injured when a refrigerator truck veered into a group of children in the southern Iraqi city of Basra on Tuesday, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

The driver lost control after the truck’s brakes failed and plowed into a group of students from a nearby primary school who were walking on the roadside in the town of Hartha, on the northern outskirts of Basra, police and witnesses said.

Hospital sources said some of the wounded children are in critical condition with severe head injuries.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered an immediate investigation into the fatal accident, his office said in a statement.

(Reporting by Aref Mohammed; Writing by Ahmed Rasheed; Editing by Leslie Adler)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In World

Trump: US can take Strait of Hormuz with more time
Italy's Meloni picks new tourism minister in shake-up after referendum
Exclusive-US upends global supply program for malaria and HIV amid warnings of gaps
Russian Su 30 fighter crashes on training flight in Crimea, TASS reports
World food price rise set to continue if Iran war lasts, FAO says
Greek PM to reshuffle cabinet amid farm fraud scandal over EU aid
Zelenskiy says frontline situation best for Ukraine in the last 10 months
Forget democracy, Burkina Faso military leader Traore says
Italy’s Uffizi hit by cyberattack, jewels moved to Bank of Italy, Corriere reports
Australians cancel Easter travel as worries mount over fuel crisis

Others Also Read