A truck filled with passengers plunged right into a river in Sidama state, regional authorities mentioned.
At the very least 71 individuals have died in a highway accident in southern Ethiopia, in accordance with native authorities.
A truck filled with passengers plunged right into a river in Sidama state, some 300km (186 miles) south of Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, the regional communication bureau mentioned in an announcement late on Sunday.
In a Fb put up, the Sidama Police Fee Visitors Prevention and Management Directorate mentioned “68 males and three females are recognized to have died within the accident up to now”, quoting Chief Inspector Daniel Sankura.
Wosenyeleh Simion, the spokesperson for the Sidama regional authorities, additionally confirmed to the Reuters information company that 71 individuals had died.
“5 are in a vital situation and taking therapy at Bona Normal Hospital,” Wosenyeleh added on Monday.
In it’s assertion late on Sunday the regional communication bureau had given the demise toll as 60, additionally including that survivors have been being handled at Bona Normal Hospital.
Blurred pictures shared by the Sidama Regional Well being Bureau confirmed a mass of individuals surrounding a car, partially submerged in water, with many seemingly making an attempt to assist pull it from the waters.
Different pictures shared by the bureau appeared to indicate our bodies, some lined in blue tarpaulin, mendacity on the bottom.
The well being bureau expressed its condolences to the households of the victims of the crash and mentioned it will share extra info later.
The police fee mentioned the incident occurred at about 5:30pm native time (14:30 GMT) on Sunday when the car plunged right into a river.
Wosenyeleh informed Reuters the truck had missed a bridge and fell right into a river and that the highway had many bends.
A number of the passengers have been coming back from a marriage ceremony and a few households had misplaced a number of members, he mentioned.
He added that visitors police within the area reported the truck was overloaded, which probably precipitated the accident.
Authorities didn’t present particulars in regards to the variety of passengers who have been on board on the time of the accident.
Highway accidents are widespread in Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous nation, the place roads are sometimes poorly maintained.
At the very least 38 individuals, largely college students, have been killed in 2018 when a bus plunged right into a ravine in Ethiopia’s mountainous north.