At least 71 people were killed in Ethiopia when a truck carrying passengers fell into a river, according to a statement by a government official in the southern region of Sidama, UNN reports citing Reuters.
Details
The accident occurred in the Bona district, the regional communications bureau said in a statement late Sunday night.
Vosenelih Simion, a spokesman for the Sidama regional government, told Reuters on Monday that at least 71 people, including 68 men and 3 women, were killed.
"Five are in critical condition and are being treated at Bona General Hospital," he said.
In a statement late Sunday night, the regional communications bureau said the death toll was 60.
Vosenelich said that the truck did not pass the bridge and fell into the river, and that the road had many turns.
Some of the passengers were returning from a wedding ceremony, and some families had lost several family members, he said, adding that the region's traffic police reported that the truck was overloaded, which likely caused the accident.
The state-owned Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) also reported that the passengers were on their way to a wedding when the accident occurred on Sunday.
Addendum
Fatal road accidents are common in Ethiopia, where driving standards are low and many vehicles are in poor condition.
At least 38 people, mostly students, were killed in 2018 when a bus fell into a ravine in the mountainous north of Ethiopia.