Addis Ababa, Ethiopia At least 66 people have died after a truck plunged into a river in southern Ethiopia, a hospital director said on Monday. The accident took place on Sunday when an old and cramped truck that was hired by wedding guests fell off the Gelan Bridge, where villagers said there had been traffic accidents before.
The medical director of the Bona General Hospital in the southern region of Sidama, Lemma Lagide, told The Associated Press on Monday that 64 people died at the scene and two more at the hospital.
He said those patients who needed more sophisticated critical care were transferred to a larger hospital in Hawassa.
Delays in rescue efforts in the remote village were blamed for the high death toll. Locals said they tried to save people from the burning river with sticks.
A resident, Serak Boko, told the AP that moments before the crash, music was blaring from the truck and people dressed in costumes were dancing and waving.
It is common for people in rural areas of Ethiopia to rent trucks instead of buses to transport them to social events such as weddings because they are more affordable and carry many people. Most of those in the truck were men because they are culturally required to escort the bride from her home to the groom’s.
“The area always has regular accidents around the river as it is poorly constructed,” said resident Fasil Atara, referring to the road, which has no speed bumps or warnings.
With desolate infrastructure and overcrowded public transport, Ethiopia has had similar accidents in the past. In August, 38 people died after a bus overturned in the Amhara region.