"Police in Basra arrested the truck driver who ran over six students,killing them and injuring 14" others in the Al-Hartha region, interior ministryspokesperson Miqdad Miri said.
According to initial information, the driver "lost control of the truckwhen the brakes failed," he added in a statement.
In 2022, road accidents in Iraq claimed the lives of more than 4,900people, an average of 13 per day, according to health ministry figures.
Conflict, neglect and endemic corruption have left oil-rich Iraq'sinfrastructure, including roads and bridges, in disrepair, reports BSS.
Officials often blame crashes on drivers ignoring the speed limit, usingmobile phones behind the wheel, and drug and alcohol consumption.