Three People Die in Head-on Crash in North Shoa

ADDIS ABABA – Three people were killed and 19 others injured in a head-on crash in the north Shoa zone of the Oromia regional state, police said on Monday.

The fatal accident occurred around 4:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon in the Hamus Gebeya area of Kimbibit District – located some 80 kilometers north of Addis Ababa.

A public bus, traveling from Debre Birhan to Addis Ababa, collided head-on with a pickup car, traveling in the opposite way, according to the Traffic Department of North Shoa Police

Three people including the driver of the pickup were pronounced dead instantly, Inspector Takele Tolera told Fana Broadcaster. Nineteen others were also injured.

All three people who lost their lives in the crash were Chinese nationals, according to the Inspector.

Including the driver of the bus, 10 severely injured people were taken to hospitals for treatment, Inspector Takele added.

Police are currently investigating to determine the cause of the deadly crash.

Though Ethiopia has one of the lowest per capita car ownership in the world, traffic accidents are fairly common.

Reports often blamed lax enforcement of road safety, Insufficient driver knowledge, and unsafe roads for the accidents.