Traveling from the border custom town of Wajaale to Hargeisa, a NOAH van driving in high speed flips over and over killing four and injuring the rest, according to eyewitnesses and government officials.
The accident happened at a point in between Gabiley and Kalabaydh along the 90-kilometer road which connects the agriculturally-rich region of Gabiley to Hargeisa, the capital of the Republic of Somaliland.
“The accident was caused by one of the front tires tearing off from the rest of the vehicle rendering the car out of control,” an auxiliary nurse at the Gabiley hospital said.
The driver and another male passenger died instantly. Two female passengers were checked into Gabiley Hospital but died soon after due to the severity of their injuries.
The remaining six passengers are being treated at the Hargeisa Group Hospital where they have been referred to suffering different degrees of injuries some still in a critical stage.
Mohamed Osman Hajji ‘Indha Ballac), Regional Governor, attributed the increased number of costly accidents to the good condition of the road, reckless drivers and the heavy traffic using the road at all hours of the day and the night.
Speaking to the BBC Somali section, Wednesday, he said: “Since the road connects the rest of Somaliland to the booming border town of Wajaale which, itself is a thriving trade center, a stream of cars, buses, and trucks use the road at all hours some driving in inordinately high speeds”.
The Gabiley-Hargeisa and the Hargeisa-Berbera roads account for over 80% of fatal accidents in Somaliland, according to traffic police statements. Each year, thousands lose their lives in car accidents caused either by inattentive, reckless drivers or faulty parts failing the vehicle in motion.
