Two die, ten injured in Rumbek North road accident

 

JUBA – Police in Rumbek, Lakes State, South Sudan, reported that at least two people died and ten others were injured in a road accident along Rumbek North Road on Tuesday after a hospital-bound vehicle overturned.

Lakes State Deputy Director of Traffic Police, Lt. Gen. Moses Machuoc, said a military vehicle from Malek Payam, travelling to Rumbek, was transporting a sick soldier from the Malek Payam military outpost.

“This soldier was given a medical report to go to the hospital. They started to come to Rumbek Hospital, but when they reached the area between Anyijong and Lang-cok, the driver lost control due to high speed, and the vehicle overturned, killing two people and injuring ten others. The vehicle was carrying about 12 passengers,” Machuoc recounted.

“Those who sustained injuries are now receiving medical treatment at Rumbek State Hospital,” he added. The director said the two fatalities included one man and one woman, while the driver was also among the injured.

“The vehicle was speeding, and when it hit a pothole, it overturned. The driver tried to regain control but failed, which caused the accident,” Machuoc explained.

He noted that overspeeding has been a recurring issue. “We have been advising government and commercial drivers to stop speeding and follow traffic rules, but they don’t listen. When you drive slowly, you can reach your destination safely. High speeds lead to accidents,” he said.

The driver, who is critically injured, will soon be transferred to Juba for further treatment and was unable to speak at the time of writing this article.

Dr. Teran Madit, Medical Director of Rumbek State Hospital, confirmed that the hospital received the casualties from the accident. According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred around 11:00 AM, and the injured arrived at the hospital by 2:00 PM. The accident happened on the road to Malek, a few kilometres from Rumbek State headquarters.

“The vehicle was carrying around 12 passengers. Unfortunately, the driver was speeding, causing the vehicle to overturn, killing two people—one man and one woman—and injuring ten others. Three of the injured sustained severe head injuries,” Dr. Madit said.

He added that resuscitation was performed upon arrival, and medical staff identified that some patients had serious head injuries, while others sustained minor injuries, such as bruises and small wounds on their limbs.

“Of the 12 passengers, two passed away at the scene, and the remaining ten were brought to the hospital for treatment,” he concluded.