66 Killed, Several Others Injured After Overcrowded Truck Plunged Into River In Southern Ethiopia

Addis Ababa: At least 66 people were killed and several others injured in Southern Ethiopia after an overcrowded truck plunged into a river. A hospital director confirmed the incident on Monday saying that the accident occurred on Sunday when an old, overcrowded truck, which had been contracted by wedding guests, fell off the Gelen Bridge. The villagers said that there have been traffic accidents before.

Lemma Lagide, medical director of Bona General Hospital in the southern Sidama region, told The Associated Press on Monday that 64 people died on the spot and two others died at the hospital. Patients who needed more sophisticated critical care were transferred to a larger hospital in Hawassa, he said.

Delays in rescue efforts in the remote village were blamed for the high number of casualties. Villagers said they tried to rescue people from the swollen river using only sticks.

Serak Boko, a villager, told the AP that music was blaring from the truck moments before the crash, and people in suits were dancing and waving. It's common in rural Ethiopia for people to rent trucks instead of buses to travel to social events such as weddings because they are more affordable and can carry many people. Most of the people on the truck were men, as they were culturally required to carry the bride from her home to the groom's house. Resident Fasil Atara said accidents always happen near the river because it is so poor in terms of road construction. He cited bumps in the road and a lack of warnings.

Similar accidents have happened in Ethiopia before because of dilapidated infrastructure and congested public transport. In August, 38 people were killed when a bus overturned in the Amhara region.