WESTERN PROVINCE

NYABIHU - Three passengers died and two others suffered severe injuries when a United Nations lorry ran into a minibus taxi on the Kigali-Goma road on Friday.

The names of the deceased passengers, two women and a man, had not been identified by press time.

According to eyewitnesses, the taxi which was carrying 17 passengers from Kigali was hit by the lorry whose breaks apparently failed.

"The lorry was at a very high speed. It rapidly crashed into a taxi killing three people, they died right away.,” explained Innocent Rushokoza a resident from Jenda sector, Nyabihu district.

Another eyewitness, identified as Joselyine Mukamana, said the driver of the UN lorry tried to avoid a head on collision with the taxi vehicle coming in the opposite direction but failed.

The injured passengers were rushed to Bigogwe hospital for first aid and were later transferred to King Faisal Hospital in Kigali.

According to a police officer who was at the scene of the accident, the United Nations lorry was responsible for the accident.

"The accident took place at around 1.20 p.m. and we found out that the minibus driver who survived without injuries is innocent,” explained the police officer

Ends