At least 66 people have died after a truck plunged into a river in southern Ethiopia, a hospital director said Monday.
The accident occurred on Sunday when an old, overloaded truck, which was contracted by wedding guests, fell off the Gelan Bridge, where villagers said traffic accidents had happened before.
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Lemma Lagide, medical director of Bona General Hospital in the southern Sidama region, told The Associated Press on Monday that 64 people died at the scene and two others died in hospital.
He said patients who needed more sophisticated critical care were transferred to a larger hospital in Hawassa.
Delays in rescue efforts in the remote village were blamed for the large number of casualties. Villagers said that they tried to save people from the swollen river only with the help of sticks.
This undated photo shows the Ethiopian flag. (bildegentur-online/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Serak Boko, a villager, told the AP that music was playing from the truck and people in suits were dancing and waving shortly before the crash.
In rural Ethiopia it is common for people to rent trucks instead of buses to take them to social events such as weddings because they are more economical and carry many people. Most of the people riding on the truck were men because culturally they are required to transport the bride from her home to the groom’s home.
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“There are always regular accidents in this area around the river because it is poorly constructed,” said resident Fasil Atara. he said, referring to potholes and lack of warnings on the road.
Similar accidents have occurred in Ethiopia before, with desolate infrastructure and overcrowded public transportation. In August, 38 people were killed when a bus overturned in the Amhara region.
