Swazi road accident kills 38 girls
Print Edition
A ROAD accident in Swaziland killed 38 girls and seriously injured 20 others who had been on their way to a traditional ceremony where King Mswati III can choose a new wife, pro-democracy activists reported yesterday.
The accident happened on Friday night when their open truck smashed into a car on the road between the tiny kingdom’s two main cities, Mbabane and Manzini, en route to the traditional Reed Dance, activists said.
“A total of 38 young girls have been pronounced dead, with more than 20 others seriously injured,” said Lucky Lukhele, a spokesman for the Swaziland Solidarity Network which campaigns for democracy in the landlocked kingdom within South Africa.
“The girls were in an open truck which hit a sedan car stopped on the road,” Lukhele said.
The Reed Dance, due to be held today, is a beauty pageant that attracts tens of thousands of young virgins who dance before the polygamist king, who can select one of them as a new wife.
Mswati, Africa’s last absolute monarch, chose his 14th wife at the celebration in 2013.
Mswati said the girls’ deaths were a “tragedy in the nation.”
“I would like to assure the parents who have lost their loved ones that the nation will support them through and through,” said the monarch, speaking on the sidelines of a trade fair in Manzini.
“Also those in hospitals, should the need arise for further treatment they will be taken to other hospitals to ensure no further loss of life,” the king added.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
