/ 9 February 2005

Runaway truck kills 38 in Angola

At least 38 people, including many children, were killed and 70 injured on Tuesday when a truck rammed into a crowd watching a carnival parade in the southern Angolan town of Lubango, the Roman Catholic radio station Ecclesia reported.

Witnesses quoted by the radio station said that the truck’s brakes apparently failed and that it rammed into the crowd, mowing down many Angolans who had turned out to watch the annual parade.

”The residents of Lubango are shocked by the accident,” said the radio report, adding that ”entire families were desperately searching among the survivors” for their loved ones ”while others were identifying bodies at the morgue of the central hospital.” – Sapa-AFP