21 killed, 19 injured as bus overturns in southern Iraq

Twenty-one people were killed and 19 others injured Sunday when a bus overturned on a road linking the cities of Nasiriyah and Basra in southern Iraq, while Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi ordered an investigation into the accident.

Iraq’s Health Ministry said in a statement carried by the state news agency INA that Health Minister Abdul Hussein Al-Moussawi was following developments after a bus carrying a number of visitors overturned on the Nasiriyah-Basra highway.

The ministry said the minister ordered medical, health, and ambulance teams to be placed on full alert and directed all available resources toward responding to the accident and providing necessary care for the injured.

According to the ministry, preliminary figures showed 21 deaths and 19 injuries, including Iranian visitors, without specifying their number. The injured were transferred to medical facilities for treatment and care, while medical teams continue to monitor their condition, the statement added.

Separately, the prime minister’s office said in a statement that Al-Zaidi was following the aftermath of the traffic accident with local authorities in Dhi Qar province and relevant agencies.

The statement said the accident occurred in the Al-Batha district and resulted in dozens of casualties and injuries. Al-Zaidi directed the relevant authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the causes of the accident, provide urgent care to the injured, and ensure the necessary support for the families of the victims, it added.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul