BAGHDAD, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Nine people were killed and 12 others injured on Thursday in a hit-and-run road accident in Iraq's southern province of Basra, according to security and health officials.
The incident occurred in northern Basra when a four-wheel-drive vehicle struck a group of people walking along a highway toward the city of Karbala, about 110 km south of Baghdad, an interior ministry source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
The driver initially fled the scene but was later apprehended by security forces, the source said, adding that a preliminary investigation suggested he was driving under the influence of alcohol.
Iraqi Health Ministry spokesperson Saif al-Badr told the official Iraqi News Agency that the initial toll from the accident stood at nine deaths and 12 injuries.
Following the tragedy, the health ministry ordered local medical institutions to mobilize all available resources and dispatched ambulance teams to provide urgent care to the victims, al-Badr said.
Meanwhile, Basra Governor Asaad Al-Eidani declared three days of official mourning following the road accident, according to a statement issued by his office. ■
