A van carrying wedding guests plunges into a river in Ethiopia, killing dozens

At least 71 people have died in southern Ethiopia after a lorry plunged into a river, according to officials. The vehicle was traveling through Sidama state on Sunday when it missed a bridge and fell into the river, a local official told Reuters.

Wosenyeleh Simion mentioned that many of the passengers were wedding guests. Regional traffic police reported that the lorry was overloaded, which likely contributed to the accident. Further investigations are ongoing.

Of the 71 confirmed fatalities, 68 were men and 3 were women, according to the Sidama Police Commission Traffic Prevention and Control Directorate.

Blurred images shared on Facebook by the state health bureau depict people attempting to pull a damaged vehicle from a body of water in the Bona district. Additional images show bodies, some covered in blue tarpaulin, lying on the ground.

Thousands of people die in road accidents annually in Ethiopia, with over-speeding and disregard for traffic laws often cited as major causes.