BASRA, Iraq, April  2, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - At least six students were killed

and 14 injured Tuesday when a truck ploughed into them on their way out of
school in Iraq's southern province of Basra, authorities said.

"Police in Basra arrested the truck driver who ran over six students,
killing them and injuring 14" others in the Al-Hartha region, interior ministry
spokesperson Miqdad Miri said.

According to initial information, the driver "lost control of the truck
when the brakes failed," he added in a statement.

In 2022, road accidents in Iraq claimed the lives of more than 4,900
people, an average of 13 per day, according to health ministry figures.

Conflict, neglect and endemic corruption have left oil-rich Iraq's
infrastructure, including roads and bridges, in disrepair.

Officials often blame crashes on drivers ignoring the speed limit, using
mobile phones behind the wheel, and drug and alcohol consumption.