Millions in financial losses for Addis Ababa city Anbessa bus as fire blazed garage

 At least eleven Anbessa buses are reduced to nothing due to fire accident in Jemo, Lafto district of Addis Ababa, where the organization’s garage is located, according to a report by state affiliated media in Ethiopia.

Buses with maintenance and service needs are parked in the garage. Government authorities did not disclose causes of the fire at this writing except undetailed statement that the incident is under investigation.

Total property damage, including the busses, is said to be worth 46 million Ethiopian birr.
More than five hundred busses were parked in the garage during the accident.
Now named Anbessa City Bus Service Enterprise, it has served Addis Ababa for more than seventy years.

Recurring problem

Fire accident has become common since a few months before declaration of state of emergency following widespread anti-government protest mainly in Amhara and Oromia regions of Ethiopia.

In December of 2016, there were three fire incidents in the capital at the same time. Qilinto Prison , Jimma Prison in South Western Ethiopia, Debre Tabor prison in North Western Ethiopia. An entire market place in the town of Gonder, anti-government protest was strong, was totally burned a little before the state of emergency.

In January 2015, Ethiopia’s first historic hotel, Taytu, in the heart of the capital, was burned, in what appeared to be a politically motivated arson. The list is long.

Something to do with the political situation in the country?

Based on recent experience, it is possible that the Anbessa bus fire incident could be a case of arson. Government of Ethiopia claims that the state of emergency restored “peace and stability” – apparently, a belief that is informed by uneasy silence on the surface. However, just two days ago, Deutsche Welle reported that political unrest is simmering. There is no indication if government is ready to end it any time soon.