71 Persons Die In Ethiopia Road Accident

No fewer than 71 people died in Ethiopia when a truck packed with passengers plunged into a river.

Spokesperson for the southern Sidama regional government, Wosenyeleh Simion, disclosed this in a statement late Sunday, saying the accident occurred in the Bona district.

According to him, at least 71 people had died, including 68 males and 3 females.

“Five are in a critical condition and taking treatment at Bona General Hospital,” he said.

Wosenyeleh said the truck had missed a bridge and fell into a river and that the road had many bends.

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He further stated that some of the passengers were returning from a wedding ceremony and some families had lost multiple members,

Wosenyeleh added that traffic police in the region had reported that the truck was overloaded, which likely caused the accident.

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The state-run Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation, EBC, also reported that the passengers were travelling to a wedding when the accident occurred on Sunday.

Deadly traffic accidents are said to be common in Ethiopia, where driving standards are poor and many vehicles badly maintained.