Traffic Accident In Addis Ababa Injures 46 People

ADDIS ABABA – At least 46 people have been injured in a traffic accident involving two public buses in Addis Ababa, according to city’s police.

The accident occurred in Woreda 7 of Gulele Sub-city after a public bus with 61 people onboard heading to Bahir Dar collided head-on with a mid-bus going in the opposite direction on Wednesday morning around 07:30 AM.

After the collision, both cars veered off the main road and crashed into a roadside ditch. While 46 people were injured, no one was killed as result of the accident, Addis Ababa Police reported.

The injured were taken to Abet Hospital and other medical centers, Inspector Markos Desta later told state television.

Police also said the cause of the accident is under investigation.

Inspector Markos, however, said most of the traffic accidents in the country are caused by violations of the rules.

Driving on the steep road like Sululta Road where today’s accident occurred can be more challenging, said the Police adding great care should be taken especially on difficult roads.

Like many African countries, Ethiopia is facing an enormous road safety crisis.

In the first half of the current 202/21 fiscal year, Ethiopia witnessed more than 20,600 traffic accidents that caused 1,848 deaths.

More than 5000 people also sustained physical injuries while the country lost in excess of 495 million birr or about 12.3 million U.S. dollars in terms of financial damage incurred from traffic accidents.