Traffic accident in southern Ethiopia leaves 4 dead

ADDIS ABABA - A car accident in Ethiopia's Southern regional state left four people dead, an Ethiopian official said on Sunday.

Abera Wercho, Police Chief of Weyde district in Wolaita zone, Southern regional state, said the accident happened on Saturday evening when a dump truck travelling on the road crashed into a crowd walking at the edge of the road, killing four and injuring nine others.

Wercho said six of the injured sustained life-threatening injuries while three others sustained light injuries.

He further said one of the injured is the driver of the vehicle, who is currently under investigation and suspected of causing the car accident because of negligent driving.

While the exact reason for the car accident hasn't been determined yet, police called on vehicles travelling in the area known for its hilly environment and deep gorges to respect the speed limit of the area.

Despite having one of the lowest per capita car ownership in the world, deadly traffic accidents in Ethiopia are common with blames put on bad roads, flawed driving license issuance system and lax enforcement of road safety.

Traffic accidents during the Ethiopian Fiscal Year 2016/17 that ended on July 8 in 2017 led to the deaths of 4,500 people, according to Ethiopia Federal Transport Authority.