Traffic Accident in Northern Ethiopia Leaves 2 Dead, 39 Injured

ADDIS ABEBA – At least two have been killed and 39 others injured in a traffic accident involving a public bus in northern Ethiopia, Police said on Wednesday.

The traffic accident occurred on Tuesday in East Gojjam zone, Dejen District, in Amhara regional State.

A driver and one passenger were instantly killed after a public bus and a truck collided with a truck in an area called Zemetn Kebele.

Close to 40 others sustained injuries and are admitted to hospitals in Debre Markos and Addis Abeba, Ethiopian news agency reported on Wednesday. Of these, 11 were seriously injured.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation, according to the Police.

Ethiopia has one of the lowest per capita car ownership rates in the world.

But reports show that fatal traffic accidents are fairly common, due to having bad roads, reckless driving, a flawed driving license issuance system, and latent safety rules.

In 2018, over 5,100 Ethiopians lost their lives due to road traffic accidents, while over ten thousand are have survived heavy and light injuries.