By Enyichukwu Enemanna
At least 71 people have been reported dead after a bus conveying wedding guests through Sidama State on Sunday plunged into a river when it veered off a bridge.
The Sidama Police Commission Traffic Prevention and Control Directorate reported that the vehicle was overloaded, which may have caused the deadly accident.
“The 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,” AFP quoted Wossenyeleh Simon, an official with the regional communications department, as saying.
“Among the deceased are four people from the same family,” he added.
He explained that the driver lost control of the “freight truck,” which was carrying 76 people, including those heading to the wedding and some labourers, while attempting to navigate a tight bend ahead of a bridge.
“It was possible the truck was carrying people beyond its capacity as there were a scarce number of passenger vehicles operating that day,” he noted.
Blurred images shared by the health bureau showed a crowd surrounding the vehicle, partially submerged in water, with many ropes being used to help pull it from the river.
Other images shared by the bureau appeared to show bodies, some covered in blue tarpaulin, lying on the ground.
Simon stated that staff from a nearby hospital quickly arrived at the scene on Sunday, “helping retrieve the bodies of the deceased and also conducting search and rescue operations for survivors.”
Of the five individuals who survived, two sustained serious injuries and are currently receiving care at Hawassa Referral Hospital.
He added that three survivors had already been discharged, although they were suffering from “mental stress and psychological shock.”
In the East African country, road accidents are common.
They have been attributed to poor road maintenance, overspeeding, and drivers’ failure to adhere to traffic rules.
Earlier this year, a bus swerved into a river in southern Ethiopia’s Wolaita, leaving at least 28 people dead and 19 others seriously injured.
Additionally, at least 18 civilians were killed in 2018 when an army truck crashed into a minibus in the country’s north.
