A truck runs over a group of students as they were leaving school in Basra (social networking sites)
“Ring the bell... we will go home!! No... to heaven.” With this phrase, the audience on social media platforms reacted to the incident of the killing of 6 children and the injury of 9 others as they were leaving primary school in the Al-Hartha area, north of Basra Governorate in Iraq.
The incident occurred - yesterday, Tuesday - while the students were leaving their school for home at the end of school hours, and they had to cross a highway in front of the school, and as they were passing, a truck passed by, and the driver lost control and ran over approximately 20 children.
By video
On the other hand... painful scenes documented by CCTV cameras at the moment of a tragedy #Al-Haritha #Basra #Iraq #BasraTragedy pic.twitter.com/9QzDXKbZ48
- Youssef Sergo (@Youss_ef_4) April 2, 2024
Many clips spread on social media platforms showing the moment the accident occurred and the truck ran over the children, and activists circulated a video clip of a grieving father who lost 4 of his children in the run-over accident.
As the videos spread, a state of sadness and anger prevailed in the Iraqi street, which was reflected on social media platforms.
Through the hashtag #Basra_Tragedy, which topped the Iraqi trend list, tweeters asked who was really responsible for the accident: the driver who did not pay attention, the municipality and planning who did not take into account security and safety requirements, or the governorate, which the people asked more than once to build bridges for students to cross, but their request was not responded to. .
Who is responsible for the #Hartha_Tragedy!?
The driver who did not pay attention, the municipality and planning department that did not take into account public security and safety, or the governor who was asked more than once to build bridges for students to cross and he did not respond!
The last negligent person did not and will not resign
because the position is more precious than the lives of innocent people #Basra_Tragedy pic.twitter.com/AB24iEYFDO
- Shafak Abdullah (@SH__AFQ) April 2, 2024
#Iraq
May God have mercy on the student children and give patience to their families with a new tragedy in our Iraq and in #Basra
‼️A few days and weeks ago, the people appealed to the government, stakeholders, and officials to find solutions for these students and allocate a crossing area, a pedestrian bridge,
or the traffic police to place a signal and a point to control and protect citizens from fatal accidents,
but… pic.twitter.com/S6PjG4rICY
- Ali AlZuhairi Ali Al-Zuhairi (@babylonponabrt) April 2, 2024
Tweeters said that in Iraq there are always solutions and implementation after a disaster occurs, starting from the Mosul ferry accident to the Hamdaniyah fire accident and today a case of a truck running over a number of primary school students in the Hartha area in Basra.
In my country, solutions and implementation always come after a disaster occurs, from the Mosul ferry accident to the Hamdaniyah fire accident, and today a case of a truck running over a number of students in an elementary school in the Al-Hartha area - Basra.
There is no power nor strength except in God, the Most High, the Great #BasraTragedy pic.twitter.com/ILzabHi9hW
- Ali Qasim Hayal - writer (@Ali_qs_1) April 3, 2024
Others held responsibility for the central and local government, from the governor to the youngest official in the governorate, and demanded that the school administration be held accountable because there was no security element affiliated with the school’s protection who blocked the street for the purpose of students crossing.
They also demanded that all officials in the Department of Education, Traffic, Police, and Roads be held accountable for not carrying out their duties and protecting the lives of students.
This catastrophic accident is borne by the central and local government, from the governor to the youngest official. What is the fault of these students? They risk their lives to cross the highway. Why was a pedestrian bridge not built for them? May God give patience to their families through this tragedy. May God have mercy on the dead and heal their wounded.
- Ahmed Al-Shammari (@fakhermnawer4) April 2, 2024
One of the followers wrote a post in which she said, "I do not have the words to express the tragedy of Basra, and my words, no matter how touching they are, are not enough and do not express the depth of pain and sadness in the heart of every mother who lost her child as a result of this painful accident."
Ring the bell..
We will go home!!
No.. to heaven 💔 #Basra_tragedy.. Oh God, give patience to their families 😞 pic.twitter.com/ywSaX9gQa2
- Saadoun, the Iraqi (@HzoG7jbln) April 3, 2024
The Iraqi Ministry of Interior commented on the incident in a statement published on its platforms, saying: The Basra Governorate Police arrested the driver of a refrigerator truck who ran over 6 school students, leading to their death and wounding 9 others with various injuries in the Al-Hartha area, north of Basra Governorate.
The statement added: According to the initial confessions, the driver lost control of the vehicle due to a brake failure, which caused the run-over accident during the end of official school hours.
The Ministry said that the Minister of Interior, Abdul Amir Al-Shammari, directed the formation of an investigation committee to go to the scene of the accident to find out its circumstances and determine its causes.
The Governor of Basra, Asaad Al-Eidani, announced a state of general mourning in the governorate for a period of 3 days for the lives of the students of Zainab Primary School.
Source: Al Jazeera + social networking sites