Wedding party truck plunges into river in Ethiopia, killing at least 66 people, hospital director says
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — At least 66 people died after a truck plunged into a river in southern Ethiopia, a hospital director said Monday. The accident happened on Sunday when an old, overcrowded truck carrying the wedding party fell off the Gelan Bridge, where villagers said road accidents have happened before.
The medical director of Bona General Hospital in the southern region of Sidama, Lemma Lagide, told The Associated Press on Monday that 64 people died on the spot and two more died in hospital.
He said patients requiring 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 number of casualties. Locals said they tried to save people from the raging river with sticks.
One villager, Serak Boko, told AP that a few moments before the accident, music was blaring from the truck and that people dressed in suits were dancing and waving.
It is common for people in rural Ethiopia to hire trucks instead of buses to transport them to social events like weddings because they are more affordable and carry a lot of people. Most of those in the truck were men because they are culturally obliged to escort the bride from her home to the groom’s house.
“There are always regular accidents around the river in that area because it’s poorly built,” said resident Fasil Atar, referring to the road, which has no backs or warnings.
With abandoned 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.
