Nine killed, 13 injured in traffic accident on road to Karbala in southern Iraq

BASRA, Iraq — A vehicle lost control early Saturday on a road used by travelers heading to Karbala, killing nine people and injuring 13, Iraq's Health Ministry said. Eight of the injured remain hospitalized, with one in critical condition, according to the ministry. The Basra provincial administration declared three days of mourning in the city following the crash. Relatives of those killed gathered outside the forensic medicine department, demanding accountability from authorities. Family members blamed poor road infrastructure, insufficient safety measures and reckless driving for recurring accidents. They called for stricter measures to prevent further crashes and asked the Basra governor's office to open a separate road for Karbala-bound travelers and to have the traffic directorate introduce additional regulations. One relative said more people die in traffic accidents than in terrorist attacks. No further details on the cause of the crash were immediately available.