WESTERN PROVINCE

NGORORERO — Ten people were confirmed dead and ten others seriously injured when a truck they were traveling in swerved into a swamp in Kabaya Sector on Tuesday evening.

According to eye witnesses the accident took place at Kabaya bridge as a Mercedes Benz truck loaded with heavy machinery crossed the bridge. Sources said the bridge collapsed under heavy weight of the machinery; which was being taken to Kabaya Tea Factory said to be currently under renovation.

All the 20 victims whose names were not readily identified by press time were workers of the factory. The injured were rushed by rescuers to Kabaya Health centre in critical condition and by press time the dead were also still in the health center mortuary. Sources said the factory would meet medical expenses.

A medical staffer who talked to The New Times at the health center said the death toll may rise.

"Am afraid the death toll might rise because we have some severe cases that may need transfer due to severe chest pains," said the staffer who asked not to be named.

The district mayor Sypriene Nsengimana in a brief interview attributed the accident to weakness of the bridge. "Our roads are poor and prone to accidents," he said.

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