ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A multi-vehicle accident on the Sulaimani-Penjwen road this weekend resulted in one death, several trucks catching fire, and nearly 12 cars damaged. “Approximately twelve vehicles were damaged, but mainly four vehicles were burned. They were cargo trucks and tankers. Unfortunately, one person lost their life,” Masud Hassan from Said Sadiq traffic police told Rudaw. The accident was reported to the police at 11:30 pm on Thursday. A driver whose truck was burned in the flames, recalled what happened. “This car had collided with two cars that were parked next to me and a fire started. I tried many times to get my car out but couldn't… There was a driver inside, but the driver was dead. The fire hadn't reached it yet,” Hiwa Mohammad said. He said that he had to abandon his car as the fire got out of control. Farman Ali’s truck was also burned. “Last night there was an accident behind us. The cargo was completely burnt, with only one barrel remaining in the middle. Nothing else remained,” said Ali, who is from Kermanshah province in western Iran. The Penjwen border crossing is an important trade route between the Kurdistan Region and Iran. Car accidents are a common occurrence in the Kurdistan Region, exacerbated by poor quality roads and lax enforcement of safety measures.
