At least 71 killed in Ethiopia after truck plunges into river
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Traffic police reported the truck was overloaded, which likely caused the accident.
PHOTO: SIDAMA NATIONAL REGIONAL STATE COMMUNICATION AFFAIRS BUREAU/FACEBOOK
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ADDIS ABABA - At least 71 people died in Ethiopia when a truck packed with passengers plunged into a river, according to the spokesperson for the southern Sidama regional government and a statement.
The accident occurred in the Bona district, the regional communication bureau said in a statement issued late on Dec 29.
Mr Wosenyeleh Simion, spokesman for the Sidama regional government, told Reuters on Dec 30 that at least 71 people had died – 68 males and three females.
“Five are in a critical condition and taking treatment at Bona General Hospital,” he said.
In a statement late on Dec 29, the regional communication bureau gave the death toll as 60.
Mr Wosenyeleh said the truck had missed a bridge and fell into a river, and that the road had many bends.
Some of the passengers were returning from a wedding ceremony and some families had lost multiple members, he said, adding that traffic police in the region had reported the truck was overloaded, which likely caused the accident.
The state-run Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation also reported that the passengers were travelling to a wedding when the accident occurred on Dec 29.
Deadly traffic accidents are common in Ethiopia, where driving standards are poor and many vehicles badly maintained.
At least 38 people, mostly students, were killed in 2018 when a bus plunged into a ravine in Ethiopia's mountainous north. REUTERS
