At least 71 killed as overloaded truck plunges into river in Ethiopia, returning from a wedding; 5 critically injured. Poor road conditions and overloading cited as causes.
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 Sunday.
Wosenyeleh Simion, spokesperson for the Sidama regional government, told Reuters on Monday 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.
In a statement late on Sunday the regional communication bureau had given the death toll as 60.
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 traffic police in the region had reported the truck was overloaded, which likely caused the accident.
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 common in Ethiopia, where driving standards are poor and many vehicles badly maintained.
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