Police and witnesses said that the truck driver lost control after a brake failure, which led to him colliding with a group of students from a nearby primary school, who were walking on the side of the road in the town of Al-Hartha on the northern outskirts of Basra.
Medical sources reported that some of the injured children were in critical condition and suffering from serious head injuries.
The office of Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani said in a statement that it had ordered an immediate investigation into the accident of running over students.
The office added, in a statement, a copy of which was received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA): “Prime Minister Muhammad Shia’ al-Sudani, on Tuesday evening, made a phone call with the Governor of Basra to find out the repercussions of the tragic incident of running over students, which occurred in the Al-Hartha district, north of the governorate.”
The statement said: “During the call, the Prime Minister offered his condolences to the families of the victims, expressing his deep sympathy to them, wishing the injured a speedy recovery, and directed that the details of the incident be followed up and investigated to determine all the circumstances. He also directed the speedy relief and first aid of the wounded.”
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) also expressed its deep sadness over “the tragic incident that occurred in the Al-Hartha area in Basra. Our deepest condolences to all those affected by this tragic loss.”
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