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The crumpled truck at the scene of the crash. AP/Press Association Images

Women and girls killed in crash at Swaziland festival where king chooses a new wife

Up to 40,000 young women dance before the king during the Reed

AT LEAST 38 girls and young women were killed in a crash while travelling to Swaziland’s most famous traditional festival.

About 20 others were injured when the truck they were in collided with another vehicle on Friday, the Swaziland Solidarity Network said in a statement.

The young women and girls were travelling on the back of an open truck, the rights group said.

The girls and young women were on their way to the Swazi king’s royal residence for the annual reed dance.

About 40,000 young women participate in the eight-day Reed Dance ceremony in which they sing and dance, usually bare-breasted, before the polygamist king, who can select one of them as a new wife.

Mswati, Africa’s last absolute monarch, chose his 14th wife at the celebration in 2013.

“We all have heard about the dark cloud that has befallen the ‘imbali,’” said King Mswati III, using the Swati language word for flower, used to refer to the groups of women dancers.

Speaking at the opening of an international trade fair today, the king promised that the affected families would be compensated. He added that an investigation into the accident was underway.

SWAZILAND CRASH Swaziland is a tiny landlocked country north of South Africa. AP AP

Police in Swaziland, a small mountainous country of 1.4 million people bordering northeastern South Africa and Mozambique, discouraged reporting on the accident, said the rights group.

Press photographers were prevented from taking pictures at the scene, said a Swazi journalist who insisted on anonymity for security reasons. However some people managed to take photographs of the aftermath of the crash with their cell phones.

A high-ranking police officer refused to comment on the accident, saying the matter was related to the “highest authority,” and no details could be disclosed to the media.

Police confirmed there had been “fatalities” but declined to specify the toll, with police spokesman Khulekani Mamba saying:

“We won’t be giving out any information because the maidens were on royal duty, so there are certain protocols to be followed before such information can be divulged to the public.”

The females were travelling on a highway between the Swazi cities of Mbabane and Manzini, when the truck carrying them smashed into a vehicle and was then hit in the rear by a second truck, the Times of Swaziland reported.

“We were about 50 on board the first truck that smashed into the Toyota van,” said Siphelele Sigudla, 18, a survivor quoted by the Times of Swaziland.

Swaziland is Africa’s last absolute monarchy, ruled by King Mswati since 1986. The country has one of the world’s highest rates of HIV infection.

- With reporting by © – AFP 2015

Read: ‘Africa’s North Korea’ — the worst regime you’ve never heard of >

Read: Seven million women in one year treated for complications from unsafe abortions >

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21 Comments
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    Mute Mark Malone
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    Jan 10th 2015, 7:52 AM

    Trampolines are having a ball playing musical gardens too.

    295
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    Mute Stephen Duggan
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    Jan 10th 2015, 7:37 AM

    Isn’t it about time that power lines were buried ?

    203
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    Mute Jennie
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    Jan 10th 2015, 7:46 AM

    Why so they can pose more of a threat to farmers and construction workers?
    Best kept in plain sight.

    218
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    Mute Mark Malone
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    Jan 10th 2015, 7:53 AM

    More killed by overhead cables Jennie.

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    Mute Keaneland
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    Jan 10th 2015, 8:44 AM

    Where did you hear that Mark?

    Because almost all our medium to high voltage lines are overhead so naturally this poses more of a risk. But we have far more cable strikes from underground cables than from overhead cables. Irish water workers for example tend to have 300 to 400 cable strikes a month, all underground.

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    Mute Mark Malone
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    Jan 10th 2015, 8:55 AM

    And just how many deaths came from those 300 to 400 cable strikes a month Keane? Thank you.

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    Mute Keaneland
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    Jan 10th 2015, 9:32 AM

    You missed the point Mark. The deaths will come if you star sticking the high voltage lines underground. Even the Dutch who pretty much have 100% low to medium voltage lines underground, will not put high voltage lines underground.

    59
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    Mute Joe
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    Jan 10th 2015, 9:48 AM

    Great idea, only cost about a few billion, maybe we could levy the consumers.

    107
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    Mute David Conway
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    Jan 10th 2015, 12:18 PM

    It costs too much to put cables underground. Overhead are easier to maintain. The odd downed power line is a easier price to pay than ducting the whole country.

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    Mute Stephen Earle
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    Jan 11th 2015, 12:29 AM

    Did you consider the unbelievable cost of burying all such cables? C’mon!!

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    Mute Nobby Donnelly
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    Jan 10th 2015, 11:36 AM

    “Our whole wall fell down..” Well im not surprised since you effectively fixed a timber sail to it from what I can see in the photo.

    113
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    Mute Martin O'Rourke
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    Jan 10th 2015, 8:56 AM

    Very windy in Donegal my house moved a yard last night!

    111
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    Mute little jim
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    Jan 10th 2015, 10:30 AM

    My house took in the front lawn.

    25
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    Mute Nell foran
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    Jan 10th 2015, 9:57 AM

    Was in meath yesterday and two enormous trees fell on the road in front of the car only missed us by a couple of feet. Scary

    107
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    Mute Derek Byrne
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    Jan 10th 2015, 8:40 AM

    I don’t think were in Kansas anymore Toto.

    96
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    Mute Mary Kavanagh
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    Jan 10th 2015, 8:11 AM

    And wheelie bins!

    91
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    Mute Tony Skillington
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    Jan 10th 2015, 8:19 AM

    Our wheelie bins were like a couple of R2D2′s last night…being blown around aimlessly

    114
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    Mute Catherine Mayock
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    Jan 10th 2015, 3:30 PM

    Well batten down the hatches cause it aint over.

    15
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    Mute Liam Mangan
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    Jan 10th 2015, 6:37 PM

    To the driver of the jeep on m9 dublin carlow yesterday for making shit of my car when your plastic material flew out including ratchet straps , my bumper grills spot lights and drivers light (€1600) also 2 other cars damaged, you pulled over down the motorway realised what you done jumped back in and sped off , shame on you, we could have been killed, and it’s me that has to somehow pay for this for your thickness

    88
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    Mute Helen Downey
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    Jan 11th 2015, 1:06 AM

    That is honestly disgusting that they didn’t take responsibility for their crap.

    23
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    Mute Tommy Shannon
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    Jan 10th 2015, 10:23 AM

    Turn on the washing machines
    There’s great drying out !!

    79
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    Mute Jennie
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    Jan 10th 2015, 8:11 AM

    That’s because none are underground.
    So obviously yes more are killed by overhead cables.
    If they’re underground you’ll all be giving out that they’ll limit what you can do with your land too much. Ie building works etc.
    And if something goes wrong it’ll be a much bigger job to fix. Digging up cable to try and find the break. Relaying the whole length. Etc

    64
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    Mute Mark Malone
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    Jan 10th 2015, 8:43 AM

    I think if you look, most cities and towns, and certainly all newer developments, have now buried the cables. This has led to far less disruption and far fewer deaths. It isn’t that difficult to map where power lines are buried.

    As an aside, overhead cables are an unsightly blight on our landscape.

    52
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    Mute Jennie
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    Jan 10th 2015, 8:17 AM

    *to sorry

    Also it’ll do a huge amount of damage to the landscape and the environment laying them underground in the first place….

    Out of sight, Out of mind isn’t always the best policy

    41
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    Mute Foxtrot Hotel
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    Jan 10th 2015, 1:12 PM

    Everyone starts juicing and detoxing after new years: giant uptake in wind speeds. Coincidence? I think not.

    Kevin Hunt really exposing some shoddy workmanship on that wall. It’s only a bit of wind.

    38
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    Mute kevinhunt101
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    Jan 10th 2015, 2:43 PM

    Well I didn’t build the wall?! and the neighbors had the fence not us

    24
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    Mute Davin Lynch
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    Jan 10th 2015, 2:53 PM

    And tell your neighbour it’s time to put the crimbo decorations away.

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    Mute Foxtrot Hotel
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    Jan 10th 2015, 3:46 PM

    I didn’t say you, Kev. I said you exposed shoddy workmanship.

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    Mute kevinhunt101
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    Jan 10th 2015, 8:09 PM

    Oh sorry haha, Ye I guess so!

    9
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    Mute Paul Smith
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    Jan 10th 2015, 11:14 AM

    Snow in Fermangh. Not settling but great to look at

    29
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    Mute Dermot Mc Loughlin
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    Jan 10th 2015, 3:38 PM

    Bit of snow here in Cavan, just enough to lightly dust an annoyed cat.

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    Mute Veronica
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    Jan 10th 2015, 10:01 AM

    Thankfully we escaped it in cork but was quite windy for a time but it blew itself out late last night

    17
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    Mute Andy Patton
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    Jan 10th 2015, 11:31 AM

    #JeSuisKevinHunt

    15
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    Mute Dylan Neary
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    Jan 10th 2015, 9:54 AM

    There was a might wind in co Louth after that hot curry last night

    15
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    Mute Dylan Neary
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    Jan 10th 2015, 9:55 AM

    “Mighty”

    9
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    Mute Emily Morris
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    Jan 10th 2015, 9:02 AM

    Our trampoline hasntlufted a finger yet! youd think it would have blown to the next county with these winds lol!

    13
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    Mute Eoin Dixon Murphy
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    Jan 11th 2015, 12:32 PM

    Go home snowman, you are drunk.

    10
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    Mute Martinp Hoey
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    Jan 10th 2015, 10:58 AM

    That’s the problem with Irish water not obeying safety legislation when digging holes in footpaths

    7
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    Mute SCO Electrical
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    Jan 10th 2015, 12:23 PM

    It depends alot on the machine driver. I work with one who could stir your tea with a 13 Tonne machine. I’ve worked with other lads you wouldn’t trust digging a hole with a teaspoon.

    16
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    Mute Paul Parsons
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    Jan 11th 2015, 2:03 AM

    Short hairy and fat. Perfectly adapted for this weather. Form an orderly que ladies.

    4
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Jan 11th 2015, 1:25 AM

    If the night of the big wind happened in 1839 (6th Jan) then if it happened again with global warming, what would we do?

    1
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