Mourners survive deadly accident along Juba-Mundri road

An eyewitness confirmed that more than 15 mourners cheated death when their bus overturned along the Juba-Mundri road on Sunday afternoon.

Evans Garang, one of the mourners, told The City Review that the incident happened between Rokon County in Central Equatoria State and Tabari Bridge, the border between WES and CES.

According to Garang, they were escorting the body of their late friend, Anti Onji Namole, to a place called Ma’di’ba in Mundri East County, Western Equatoria State.

“One of the buses among the cars escorting the body overturned just a mile away from Tabari Bridge. Something could [have been] worse than what we witnessed, but we thank God, because all survived, although some are critically injured,” Garang said.

He stated that the driver lost control of the vehicle while attempting to overtake another car at high speed. The vehicle swerved into the bush and overturned when the driver tried to get back on the road.

“They were taken back to Juba for treatment as we spoke,” he told The City from the scene.

He said the rest were in good condition and continued with their journey, reaching safely the place where the burials were going to take place.

However, efforts to reach Mundri East County Commissioner and area police boss for a comment were unfruitful.

In March this year, a similar incident happened where five mourners reportedly died in a fatal car accident and 15 others were injured when a tipper overturned at Tapari Bridge.

In another incident on November 2021, about 10 mourners were rescued after a land cruiser they were travelling in overturned at the notorious Luri Bridge as they attempted to cross the overflowing river.

“A land cruiser carrying a dead body and the mourners who were travelling from Juba to Yambio, Western Equatoria State, overturned at Luri Bridge while trying to cross, said Akulu Ma Aku yesterday. Aku is a police officer who manned the Luri Bridge checkpoint at the time of the incident.”