The death toll from a road accident in southern Ethiopia has risen to at least 71 after a vehicle carrying a wedding party veered into a river, a local official said. The truck careered into the water at around 5:30 pm local time on Sunday some 300 kilometres south of capital Addis Ababa in Sidama state. The Sidama Police Commission Traffic Prevention and Control Directorate put the death toll \u201cso far\u201d at 68 men and three women. \u201cThe accident was especially horrific as the river had a lot of big stones so most passengers, including the driver, were killed due to the impact,\u201d Wossenyeleh Simon, an official with the regional communications department, told AFP. \u201cAmong the deceased are four people from the same family,\u201d he said. He said that the driver had lost control of the \u201cfreight truck\u201d \u2014 which was carrying 76 people, including those heading to the wedding and day labourers \u2014 when trying to turn a tight bend ahead of a bridge. \u201cIt was possible the truck was carrying people beyond its capacity as there were a scarce number of passenger vehicles operating during that day,\u201d he added. Blurred images shared by the health bureau showed a mass of people surrounding the vehicle, partially submerged in water, with many ropes attempting to help pull it from the waters. Other images shared by the bureau appeared to show bodies, some covered in blue tarpaulin, lying on the ground. Wossenyeleh Simon said that staff from a nearby hospital were quickly on the scene on Sunday, \u201chelping retrieve the bodies of the deceased and also conducting search and rescue operations for survivors\u201d. Of the five individuals who survived, two sustained serious injuries and were currently receiving care at Hawassa Referral Hospital. He added that three had already been discharged, although they were suffering from \u201cmental stress and psychological (shock)\u201d. Perilous roads Road accidents are common in Ethiopia, Africa\u2019s second most populous nation, where roads are often poorly maintained. Earlier this year a bus swerved into a river in southern Ethiopia in Wolaita leaving at least 28 people dead, and 19 others seriously injured. Similarly, at least 18 civilians were killed in 2018 when an army truck crashed into a minibus in the country\u2019s north. Although the continent has the fewest roads and cars of any region it has the largest ratio of vehicle deaths, often a result of poor infrastructure, scant rescuers and old cars. Home to only around 4 per cent of the world\u2019s automobiles, Africa accounted for 19pc of road deaths last year, according to a World Health Organisation report earlier this year. It also found that the continent was the only region where road deaths increased between 2010 and 2021 \u2014 up 17pc.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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