ADDIS ABABA, June 29 (Xinhua) -- A car accident in Ethiopia's northern Amhara regional state left nine people dead, an Ethiopian official said on Friday.

Mesfin Nigatu, Chief of Dessie Police Department, South Wollo zone, Amhara regional state, said the car accident occurred on Friday morning when a passenger minibus travelling on the road fell into a 15-meter-deep ditch, leaving nine dead and 15 others, including the driver injured, reported state media outlet Ethiopia News Agency.

Nigatu said the injured are being treated in nearby health facilities, with the cause of the car accident currently under investigation.

He, however, cautioned drivers in the area to obey speed limits, especially in difficult terrains to avoid deadly accidents.

Despite having one of the lowest per capita car ownership in the world, deadly traffic accidents in Ethiopia are common with blames put on bad roads, flawed driving license issuance system and lax enforcement of road safety.

Traffic accidents during the Ethiopian Fiscal Year 2016/17 that ended on July 8 in 2017 led to the deaths of 4,500 people, according to Ethiopia Federal Transport Authority.