September 29, 2014 (JUBA) – Officials from South Sudan’s Juba teaching hospital say that over 30 people had died after an accident involving a passenger bus and cargo trailer some 25km south of the capital on Monday.

The wreckage of the bus on Juba-Nimule, September 29, 2014 (courtesy photo)

At least 15 of the deceased are South Sudanese citizens, with dozens also sustaining serious injuries, according to police and eyewitnesses.

Xaviour Okadi, a surgeon at Juba teaching hospital, told reporters that police had transported 20 bodies at about 10am (local time), but the death toll continued rising.

He said the hospital was yet to determine the nationalities of all the victims involved.

South Sudan police said the accident occurred near Nesitu on the Juba-Nimule road when a Ugandan-registered passenger bus known as Bakulu collided head on with the trailer on a bridge at about 8am (local time).

Police officials declined to speak to reporters at Juba teaching hospital and preferred not to divulge more details on the incident.

Okadi said the hospital had been overwhelmed by the high number of fatalities, adding that many of the bodies had since been returned to their families for burial.

“We are treating the bodies and we are giving [them] back to the relatives for burial because the mortuary is small,” he said.

(ST)

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