At least 60 dead in road accident in Ethiopia
World
The incident occurred at Gelana bridge in Bona Zuria Woreda, according to the health bureau
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – At least 60 people died in Ethiopia when a truck packed with passengers plunged into a river, authorities in the southern Sidama region said.
The accident happened in the Bona district, the regional communication bureau said in a statement issued late on Sunday.
"Those who survived are now taking treatment at Bona General Hospital," it said, without giving further details.
The state-run Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) reported that the passengers were travelling to a wedding when the accident occurred on Sunday in Sidama state which is about 300km south of the capital Addis Ababa.
Earlier, the Sidama regional health bureau said on Facebook that “a car accident has claimed the lives of 66 people so far”, without giving further details.
The incident occurred at Gelana bridge in Bona Zuria Woreda, according to the health bureau.
Deadly traffic accidents are common in Ethiopia, where driving standards are poor and many vehicles badly maintained.
At least 38 people, mostly students, were killed in 2018 when a bus plunged into a ravine in Ethiopia's mountainous north.
