Eight mourners died Monday when the tipper truck in which they were travelling skidded off the road and overturned along the Juba-Mundri road, traffic police said.
The Director of Greater Mundri’s Traffic Police, Maj. Abraham Tong, told Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday that the mourners were following a vehicle that was ferrying the body of their deceased relative from Juba to the area of Lui, which is located about 153 kilometres away from the capital Juba.
The traffic police officer says the incident occurred at Tafari Bridge, revealing that the tipper truck was carrying more than 30 mourners.
"There were three vehicles coming from Juba with a dead body to Lui. So, after reaching Tapari Bridge, the driver of the tipper truck lost control and the vehicle overturned. As a result of the accident, five people died instantly and 23 injured were taken to Lui Hospital where three of them died later," he explained.
The traffic police boss said the driver is momentarily under arrest and that investigations are ongoing.
John Jacob, the Accident Director at Lui Hospital, said the health facility had received 10 people who sustained injuries and that their conditions are stable. He further said some of the mourners who sustained injuries in the accident were rushed to Juba for treatment.
“We have 10 people currently receiving treatment in the Hospital, 4 people were taken to Juba, making a total of 14. The car which could bring the injured people here to Lui was not big enough, that is why some were taken to Juba," Sebit said. “I believe those who are getting treatment here will get better soon.”
There have been several car accidents in the Greater Mundri area this year.