At least 13 people, including 12 members of the same family, were killed after a vehicle transporting khat collided with a three-wheeled bajaj in Guuyoow, Qabribayah district in Ethiopia's Somali Region. The tragedy was compounded when another fatal incident occurred during the victims' burial.
Residents said most of those killed in the crash were young men returning home from a wedding when the khat-laden vehicle struck the bajaj. Thirteen people died at the scene, leaving families and the community in mourning.
The tragedy deepened during the funeral when a grave collapsed as mourners gathered to bury the victims. According to residents, three people attending the burial were killed in the collapse, while 10 others were injured and rushed to hospital for treatment.
Emergency responders were deployed to both the crash site and the burial ground to rescue victims and transport the injured for medical care.
Authorities in the Somali Region have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the road crash and establish whether any traffic or safety regulations were violated.
The double tragedy drew Somali Region President Mustafe Mohammed Omar to Qabribayah, where he joined grieving families during the funeral. He also visited injured survivors in the hospital and received updates on their condition from health workers.
Addressing the bereaved families and residents, the president expressed his condolences, saying the loss had affected not only the victims' relatives but the entire Somali Region.
"Indeed, to Allah we belong, and to Him we shall return. May Allah grant Paradise to the citizens who lost their lives in the vehicle accident that occurred this morning in Guuyoow, part of the Qabribayah district. I extend my heartfelt condolences to their families, relatives, and the entire people of the Somali Region who are mourning this loss," he said.
The president also prayed for those injured in both the road crash and the burial incident, expressing hope for their full recovery.
The accident has renewed concerns about road safety in Ethiopia, where traffic crashes continue to claim many lives each year. According to the World Health Organisation, road traffic injuries remain one of the country's leading causes of death, with many crashes linked to unsafe roads, speeding, poor vehicle conditions, and weak enforcement of traffic regulations.
Authorities are expected to release more information once investigations into the crash are complete. Meanwhile, families in Guuyoow and the wider Qabribayah district continue to mourn the victims as the community grapples with two devastating incidents that unfolded within hours of each other, leaving several families bereaved and others recovering in hospital.
Comments
Sign in with Google to comment, reply, and like comments.
Continue with Google