Nine people, including eight women and a child, drowned Wednesday evening when a vehicle carrying mourners was swept away by floodwaters in Kajo-Keji County, local authorities said.
The Toyota Land Cruiser was part of a funeral convoy traveling from Juba to Bori Boma when it attempted to cross the Lu’bajo bridge near the town’s airstrip, which had been submerged by heavy rainfall, Kajo-Keji County Commissioner Wani Jackson Mule said.
Five passengers survived the accident and are receiving medical treatment. Three were airlifted to Juba for specialized care, while two remain in Kajo-Keji under supervision, the commissioner said.
“This was an accident, not a deliberate act,” Mule said, urging calm among affected families. Authorities declared a public holiday to allow the community to mourn and organize the victims’ burials.
Aggrey Tisa Sabuni, a community leader, said the rising waters made it difficult for drivers to judge the depth and strength of the current. He described the loss as devastating, noting that one of the victims was his granddaughter.
Low-level crossings such as the Lu’bajo bridge are prone to flooding during South Sudan’s rainy season, making travel hazardous in affected areas.