“Today, Thursday at 9:40 in the morning, an accident occurred on the main road between Duhok and Erbil provinces within the boundaries of Rovia subdistrict,” Azad Taha, spokesperson for Duhok’s traffic police, said in a statement.
Three people lost their lives and another was “critically injured” in the accident, according to Taha.
Car accidents are a common occurrence in the Kurdistan Region, where years of war, neglect, and corruption have affected its infrastructure. Roads are often riddled with potholes and lack proper illumination, making it difficult to see when driving at night.
The government has made progress addressing the issue, especially by reducing speeding. In May, the Kurdistan Region’s Interior Ministry reported a 78 percent drop in traffic fatalities over the past two years, with deaths decreasing from 445 in 2022 to 98 in 2024. The ministry attributed the decline to road improvements and the installation of new traffic cameras.
In 2024, a total of 779 traffic accidents were recorded across the Region, resulting in 98 deaths and 1,437 injuries. While data for 2023 was not available, 2022 saw 3,706 accidents that left 445 people dead and 7,250 injured.
