ADDIS ABABA, May 19 (Xinhua) -- A car accident in Ethiopia's Oromia regional state has killed eight people, a local official said on Saturday.

Seyum Degefu, East Hararge Zone Police Division Communication Head, Oromia regional state, said the accident happened on Friday evening when a passenger minibus travelling on the road collided with a truck traveling on the opposite side of the road, killing eight and injuring six others, state media Ethiopia News Agency reported.

Degefu also said police are still yet to determine the cause of the traffic accident and a manhunt is underway for the truck driver who who fled the scene shortly after the accident.

Another car accident approximately in the same area on Monday killed six people. The accident occurred when a truck carrying passengers and animals overturned and crashed, killing six people and dozens of animals.

The East African country, with one of the lowest per capita car ownership in the world, often encounters deadly traffic accidents with blames put on bad roads, flawed driving license issuance system and negligent 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.