Road Accident Kills at least 23 passengers at Amman - Jerash road

CDD personnel examine the wreckage of a bus in the bottom of a valley on the Amman-Jerash highway on Saturday (Photo by Nader Daoud)

This is a sad begining of the week in Jordan. More than 23 people were killed on Amman-Jerash highway yesterday!

Is this ever gonna change? Public transportation is our biggest enemy in this country and it need to be improved before we hear more people being killed.

I have a friend died, 9 years ago, on the same road when I was studying at JUST. She was on her graduation year and was the only child for her single mother.

Around 94,257 road accidents were reported in 2007, resulting in the death of 789 people and the injury of 12,989. They cost the Kingdom JD255 million, while over the past 20 years, traffic accidents have claimed the lives of 11,000 citizens, according to official figures.

According to officials, the new traffic law is expecting to solve some of our traffic problmes however, I argue that it's gonna change anything. The problem is not with having a law. We have already many laws, but they aren't under effect. We need to focus first on solving the streets infrastructures and the transportation systems and the laws will come evenetually. We need also to develop the awareness and safty tips among drivers.

God bless them and their families.


AMMAN - At least 23 people were killed and 33 others were injured when a public transportation bus collided with a water tanker on the Amman-Jerash highway yesterday, police said.

According to a Public Security Department (PSD) source, a total of 53 passengers were on board the bus, which was heading from Amman to Irbid when it slid off the main road near Salhoub Bridge, 20km north of Amman, and hit a cliff foot then ricocheted and hit a water tanker.

Both vehicles rolled over down a steep valley, said the source, adding that the tanker’s three passengers were among the dead.

More than 60 PSD and Civil Defence Department (CDD) vehicles and 300 personnel from both agencies participated in rescue operations, PSD Spokesperson Major Mohammad Khatib said.



CDD Spokesperson Captain Bassem Khleif told The Jordan Times that due to the high number of causalities, rescue teams transported the victims to several surrounding hospitals.

Jerash Public Hospital Director Yousef Gogazeh said the hospital received 19 deaths and 13 injuries, five of whom were in critical condition.

According to CDD, three injuries were sent to Al Hussein Medical City, seven to Al Israa Hospital, seven to Queen Alia Hospital, three to the University of Jordan Hospital, while one death and two injuries were sent to the Salt Public Hospital.

Also yesterday, one person died and 13 were injured in two other separate accidents which occurred in Karak Governorate, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The accidents come as the Kingdom is engaged in a debate over a new harsher traffic law.

The new law, introduced by the former government of prime minister Marouf Bakhit, is seen as a necessity as the number of people killed in road accidents is constantly on the rise.

However, the Lower House rejected the draft law for the stipulated stiffer penalties which include huge fines and prison terms. The bill is still under discussion in the Senate.