A horrific accident on the road in Ethiopia has killed at least 71 people when a truck carrying passengers plunged into a river in southern Sidama. The tragedy happened in Bona district, the Sidama regional government and a statement from its communication bureau have confirmed.
The Devastating Incident
Wosenyeleh Simion, a regional government spokesperson, said that a truck missed a bridge and had fallen into a river with heavy casualties. "At least 71 people have died, including 68 males and three females," he said. Out of the survivors, five were in critical condition and have received treatment at Bona General Hospital. Initial investigations into the accident indicate overloading and the winding nature of the road as some of the possible reasons that caused the accident to occur.
Many passengers of the truck were reportedly returning from a wedding ceremony. Some families lost more than one of their members in the disaster. Traffic police in the region said overloading of the truck contributed to the accident.
The Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation also reported that the passengers were heading to attend a wedding when the accident happened on Sunday.
Ethiopia's Road Safety Challenges
Horrendous traffic accidents in Ethiopia are not new-ethat is a country whose drivers often drive crazily amid a plethora of very badly maintained vehicles. The latest fatal crash brings memories of an incident in 2018, when a bus carrying students plunged into a ravine in the country's mountainous north, killing at least 38 students among its passengers.
The Sidama regional communication bureau had initially reported 60 deaths in a statement issued late on Sunday, but the numbers rose by Monday as authorities continued rescue and recovery efforts.
A History of Natural Disasters
The accident comes just months after another deadly disaster struck southern Ethiopia-a landslide in the Gofa region that left at least 229 people dead in July 2024, among the deadliest landslides publicly reported in the country's history. For days, desperate excavations were conducted by residents of this rural, isolated region, mourning their dead.
A National Call for Safety Measures
The tragedy has now brought into focus Ethiopia's road infrastructure and traffic management systems, which badly need an upgrade to ensure safety on the roads. Overloading, poorly maintained vehicles, and inadequate signage are some of the recurring contributors to such disasters.
This tragic incident of loss of life has again brought home the grim reality that unless the challenges in road safety are addressed, such tragedies will always occur.
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