Goma – At least 18 people have died in a large truck accident in the Congo. A spokesman for the local government announced on Friday that he crashed into several cars at a busy intersection. The accident happened near Buhumba in the eastern province of North Kivu, said provincial governor Carly Nzanzu Kasivita of the German press agency. At least two people are injured. Helpers are still in the process of freeing more people from the wrecked cars.
The cause of the accident is unclear, but authorities suspected that the truck’s brakes had failed. Accidents are common in the Congo and occur because of bad roads, excessive speed or poorly maintained vehicles, among other things. (dpa)