BAGHDAD: Women and children were among 12 people killed in a road accident in Iraq when a minivan and a dump truck collided, reports AFP.

The accident, which they blamed on speeding and reckless driving, happened overnight on a road linking Baghdad to Babylon province, authorities said in a statement on Friday.

One official told AFP that women and children were among the victims, without specifying their number.

He said the truck driver had swerved from right to left to make a U-turn.

Oil-rich Iraq's infrastructure is crumbling after decades of conflict that have affected roads, bridges and other transport facilities.

Roads are often riddled with potholes and pitch black at night.

Successive governments have also been accused of corruption and incompetence.

Officials blame ignoring the speed limit, using mobile phones behind the wheel, and drugs and alcohol use.