Vehicle hits cafe terrace in Tunis, killing two

Tunis, July 18 – Two people were killed and 10 others injured when a heavy goods vehicle hit a cafe terrace in the southwest of the capital Tunis, Tunisian national radio station reported on Thursday.

“The accident occurred … when a heavy goods vehicle drove into a terrace of a cafe located in El Ouardia zone,” the radio station quoted Mounir Ryebi, a regional director of civil protection in Tunis, as saying.

“Driving at high speed down a descent, the driver of the heavy goods vehicle hit parked cars before hitting a group of civilians in a cafe terrace,” Ryebi said, Xinhua news agency reported.

“Speed is one of the main causes of the accident,” he noted, adding that an investigation has been launched to determine whether possible factors, other than speed, could interfere in the accident.

The injured individuals were transported to hospitals in Tunis while the driver was placed under custody.