The death toll from a tragic road accident in southern Ethiopia has climbed to at least 71, a local police official confirmed.
In a Facebook update late Sunday, the Sidama Police Commission Traffic Prevention and Control Directorate reported that “68 males and three females are known to have died in the accident so far,” quoting Chief Inspector Daniel Sankura.
According to the police commission, the crash occurred around 5:30 p.m. local time (1430 GMT) when the vehicle veered off the road and plunged into a river.
The post also noted that “two others have sustained heavy physical injuries,” but it did not provide further details about the number of passengers onboard at the time of the incident.
The tragedy unfolded in Sidama state, approximately 300 kilometres (180 miles) south of the capital Addis Ababa, specifically in the Eastern Zone of Bona Zuria Woreda.
Earlier, the regional health bureau shared blurred images showing a crowd gathered around a partially submerged vehicle in the water, with many people appearing to assist in its recovery. Other images showed bodies, some covered with blue tarpaulin, lying on the ground nearby.
Road accidents remain a frequent occurrence in Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous nation.
