At least 71 people have been killed after an overcrowded truck plunged into a river in Africa.
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According to People, the accident happened on Sunday, Dec. 29th in the Sidama state of Ethiopia. Local police said that the truck was carrying a wedding party and looked to be overcrowded. The truck reportedly missed the Gelan Bridge after driving down a windy road and fell into a nearby river.
A villager named Serak Boko told the Associated Press “that moments before the accident, music was blasting out of the truck. And people dressed in suits were dancing and waving.”
Authorities did not provide details about how many people were on the truck at the time of the incident. Wosenyeleh Simion, a spokesperson for the Sidama regional government, said that 68 men and at least three women have died.
Simion also reported that “five passengers were admitted to hospital in a critical state and were under treatment.”
The Sidama National Regional State Health Bureau shared photos following the crash, which showed the wrecked truck in a river surrounded by a crowd of people. Some of the people in the image can be seen trying to pull the vehicle out of the water, as they held onto ropes tied to the truck.
The Independent reports that traffic accidents are unfortunately common in Ethiopia due to poor driving standards and vehicles that are badly maintained. In 2018 a bus carrying mostly students plunged into a ravine in northern Ethiopia. At least 38 people were killed as a result of the accident.
The truck accident is currently under investigation.