ADDIS ABABA, April 13 (Xinhua) -- A traffic accident in Ethiopia's central region of Oromia has killed at least 15 people, a local official said on Saturday.

Kemal Aman, an official with the West Arsi Zone police department in the Oromia Region, said the road accident occurred early Saturday when a bus collided head-on with a truck traveling on the opposite side of the road, the state-affiliated media outlet Fana Broadcasting Corporate reported.

The injured are currently being treated in two nearby hospitals. The official also said negligent driving was the cause of the fatal traffic accident.

Although Ethiopia has one of the lowest per capita car ownership rates in the world, fatal traffic accidents are relatively common. The blame is often put on bad roads, reckless driving, lax enforcement of safety rules, and a flawed system for issuing driving licenses. ■