Truck plunges into river, at least 71 killed.
At least 71 people were killed after a passenger van in Ethiopia plunged into a river while crossing a bridge.
Al Jazeera, citing a statement from Ethiopian officials on December 29, reported that the accident occurred on a section of a river in the Bona Zuria district of Sidama state, about 300km south of Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa.
"To date, at least 68 men and 3 women have died in the accident," a statement posted on Facebook by the Traffic Control and Prevention Division of the Sidama State Police Commission read.
Wosenyeleh Simion, spokesman for the Sidama state government, said rescue workers at the scene had identified five survivors "in critical condition," and they were taken to Bona General Hospital for treatment.
“The vehicle skidded off the bridge and plunged into the river; the road there has many curves. Some of the passengers were returning from a wedding, and families have lost many members. Local traffic police report that the overloaded vehicle was likely the cause of the accident,” said Mr. Simion.
According to Al Jazeera, Ethiopian authorities have so far been unable to determine exactly how many people were on board the vehicle when the accident occurred.
