ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- At least five people were killed when a freight truck carrying them overturned in Ethiopia's central region of Oromia, a local official said on Thursday.
The traffic accident happened on Thursday morning when a freight truck carrying about 15 passengers skidded off the road and overturned, killing five and injuring the rest 10 passengers, according to Gose Deko, chief of the traffic control division at the West Arsi Zone Police Department in Oromia Region.
Deko said the freight truck had been additionally carrying potatoes cargo at the time of the accident, reported state-owned media outlet Ethiopian News Agency.
Deko further said police are currently conducting a manhunt for the freight truck driver, which disappeared shortly after the traffic accident happened. The police are currently investigating the possible causes of the deadly traffic accident.
According to Deko, deadly traffic accidents are fairly common in West Arsi Zone, with safety negligence by passengers and overcrowding in vehicles being the main reasons for traffic accidents in the zone.
Although Ethiopia has one of the lowest per capita vehicle 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. ■