Traffic accident on Erbil-Sulaimani highway kills five

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Five people died and two others were injured after a car and a truck collided on Erbil-Sulaimani road on Thursday, according to a health official. 

The incident took place in Khalakan in Sulaimani province after the front tyre of a truck exploded and the vehicle hit a pick up car on the other side of the road. 

Malband Hamad, head of Khalakan health directorate, told Rudaw that five people died and two were injured, adding that the casualties are from Kurdish areas in Iran (Rojhelat). 

Deadly car accidents often take place on the road, with locals complaining that the government is not doing enough to improve it. 

Car accidents are a common occurrence in the Kurdistan Region in comparison to many countries. 

Over 600 people were killed in traffic accidents across the Kurdistan Region in 2021, with more than seven thousand injured, according to official figures.