At least 66 people have died after a truck plunged into a river in southern Ethiopia, a hospital director said Monday.
An accident occurred on Sunday involving an old, overcrowded truck that was hired by wedding attendees. The tragic incident took place when the truck fell off the Gelan Bridge, a location where local villagers mentioned previous traffic accidents had occurred.
The medical director at Bona General Hospital in the southern Sidama region, Lemma Lagide, informed The Associated Press on Monday that there were 64 fatalities at the accident site and two more individuals passed away at the hospital.
He said those patients in need of more sophisticated critical care were transferred to a bigger hospital in Hawassa.
There were significant delays in the rescue operations at the remote village, attributing to the high number of casualties. Villagers recounted using only sticks to try and rescue people from the swift-flowing river.
This undated photograph shows the Ethiopian flag. (Bildagentur-online/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
A villager, Serak Boko, told AP that moments before the accident, music was blasting out of the truck and people dressed in suits were dancing and waving.
It is common for people in rural Ethiopia to hire trucks instead of buses to transport them to social events like weddings because they are more affordable and carry many people. Most of those on the truck were men because they are culturally required to escort the bride from her home to the groom’s house.
“The area always has regular accidents around the river as it is poorly constructed,” said resident Fasil Atara, referring to the road lacking bumps and warnings.
With desolate infrastructure and overcrowded public transportation, Ethiopia has had similar accidents in the past. In August, 38 people died after a bus rolled over in Amhara region.
