One dead, 8 injured in Rubavu hospital accident

One person died on the spot and eight others sustained serious injuries when a truck veered off the road and rammed into Gisenyi Hospital perimeter fence on the Musanze- Rubavu highway. The truck, registration number RAC134R/RR1056, heading to Rubavu lost control, and hit pedestrians before ramming into the fence at around 11a.m, the Police said. The deceased was identified as Elia Hategekimana. The injured were admitted to Gisenyi Hospital, but four of them in critical condition were airlifted to King Faisal Hospital in Kigali, according to Dr William Kanyankore, the hospital director. The Police described the scene of the accident as a black spot as several accidents have occured there previously due to the steep nature of the road. Superintendent Jean Marie Vianney Ndushabandi, the spokesperson of the traffic Police department, attributed the accident to failure of the braking system. Ndushabandi urged drivers, especially those of heavy-duty trucks, to be cautious while driving on steep roads. He advised long distance truck drivers to always take a ‘short rest’ before driving through Rubavu town due to the nature of the road. Eye witnesses described the accident as ghastly. “More people could have perished,” said a man only identified as Samuel. Residents want road diverted The public has urged the Police and other concerned organs to consider redirecting trucks heading to Rubavu town to minimise accidents. Dr Kanyankore said numerous appeals to divert the road have fallen on deaf ears. He said at least three major accidents occurred at the same spot recently, killing five people and destroying hospital infrastructure. “We have asked district authorities to find a long lasting solution to this problem by diverting the trucks to pass via Rugerero to Rubavu to minimise accidents in vain,” said Kanyankore. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

News

One dead, 8 injured in Rubavu hospital accident