At least 71 killed in Ethiopia road accident

At least 71 people have died in Ethiopia when a truck packed with passengers plunged into a river, according to the spokesperson for the southern Sidama regional government and a statement.

The accident occurred in the Bona district, the regional communication bureau said in a statement.

Wosenyeleh Simion, spokesperson for the Sidama regional government, told Reuters on Monday at least 71 people had died, including 68 males and 3 females.

"Five are in a critical condition and taking treatment at Bona General Hospital," he said.

Wosenyeleh said the truck had missed a bridge and fell into a river and that the road had many bends.

Some of the passengers were returning from a wedding ceremony and some families had lost multiple members, he said, adding traffic police in the region had reported the truck was overloaded, which likely caused the accident.