Vehicle collision leaves 9 dead in central Ethiopia

Addis Ababa, A head-on collision between a lorry and a police vehicle in Ethiopia’s central Oromia regional state has left nine people dead, an Ethiopian official said.

Muktar Hussein, Assistant Inspector General, Goba district police peace division, Bale zone of Oromia regional state, said the traffic accident which occurred on Monday afternoon left four others seriously injured, Xinhua reported citing state media outlet Ethiopia News Agency (ENA).

Hussein further said the driver of the lorry has been arrested and is currently under investigation.

The injured are currently receiving medical treatments in nearby healthcare facilities.

Although Ethiopia has one of the lowest per capita car ownership rates in the world, deadly traffic accidents are fairly common, with the blame put on bad roads, reckless driving, a flawed driving license issuance system and lax enforcement of safety rules.