Road accidents kill 1,358 Ethiopians in 6 months

A scene of an accident at Nyanja area in Kamara along the Nakuru-Eldoret Highway on October 7, 2023. [File, Standard]

At least 1,358 people died in traffic accidents in Ethiopia during the past six-month period, the Ethiopian government disclosed Wednesday.

State Minister for Ethiopia Government Communication Service, Selamawit Kassa, told reporters on Wednesday that deadly traffic accidents have caused serious concern in the East African country.

On top of the death toll during the first six-month period of the current 2023-2024 Ethiopian fiscal year that started back on July 8, 2023, Kassa said that an additional 2,672 people sustained serious injuries from accidents.

The country has thereby incurred over 1.9 billion Ethiopian birr (33 million U.S. dollars) in damages.

According to Kassa, studies have shown that drivers are to blame for more than 60 percent of traffic accidents in the country.

Reports indicated that with a growing economy and a rising middle class, the East African nation has recorded steady growth in vehicle numbers for the past several years.