According to a statement and the spokesperson for the southern Sidama regional government, a truck carrying passengers crashed into a river in Ethiopia, k!lling at least 71 persons.
According to a statement released late Sunday by the regional communication department, the accident happened in the Bona district. At least 71 individuals have perished, including 68 men and three women, according to Wosenyeleh Simion, a spokesman for the Sidama regional government, who spoke to Reuters on Monday.
“Five are in a critical condition and taking treatment at Bona General Hospital,” he said.
The regional communication bureau reported 60 fatalities in a statement late on Sunday. According to Wosenyeleh, the route featured numerous bends and the truck had fallen into a river after missing a bridge.
He added that traffic police in the area had stated the truck was overloaded, which most likely caused the accident, and that some of the passengers were coming from a wedding ceremony and that some families had lost several family members.
The passengers were on their way to a wedding on Sunday when the accident happened, according to the state-run Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC).
Deadly traffic accidents are common in Ethiopia, where driving standards are poor and many vehicles badly maintained.
At least 38 people, mostly students, were k!lled in 2018 when a bus plunged into a ravine in Ethiopia’s mountainous north.
