The death toll from a tragic road accident in southern Ethiopia has risen to at least 71, with officials confirming the fatalities on Sunday.
According to the Sidama Police Commission, 68 men and three women are among the deceased, after the vehicle they were traveling in plunged off a road into a river.
The accident occurred at approximately 5:30 PM local time (1430 GMT) in Sidama state, located about 300 kilometers (180 miles) south of Addis Ababa, in the Eastern Zone of Bona Zuria Woreda.
The local police reported that two additional individuals sustained severe injuries, although further details about the total number of passengers or their condition remain unclear.
In a statement shared on Facebook, Chief Inspector Daniel Sankura of the Sidama Police Commission Traffic Prevention and Control Directorate confirmed the tragic outcome, highlighting the scale of the disaster.
Images released by the local health bureau showed a large crowd gathered around the partially submerged vehicle, with several individuals attempting to assist in recovering the wreckage from the river.
Some photographs also depicted bodies lying on the ground, covered with blue tarpaulins.
Road accidents are unfortunately common in Ethiopia, where poor road maintenance contributes to frequent fatalities.
The country, Africa’s second most populous, has faced increasing concerns over road safety, with this latest incident drawing widespread attention to the urgent need for improved infrastructure and traffic safety measures.