At least 66 people have died following a road accident in Ethiopia’s Sidama state, the regional health authority announced on Sunday.
The accident occurred in the Eastern Zone, near Gelana Bridge in the Bona Zuria Woreda area, about 300 kilometres (180 miles) south of the capital, Addis Ababa, according to the Sidama Regional Health Bureau.
In a statement on Facebook, the bureau confirmed that four injured passengers were receiving treatment at Bona General Hospital.
Images shared by the bureau showed a crowd gathered around a vehicle partially submerged in water, with bystanders attempting to pull it out. Other photos depicted bodies lying on the ground, some covered with blue tarpaulin.
The health bureau extended condolences to the victims’ families and pledged to provide further details. The number of vehicles involved and the total number of passengers on board remain unclear.
Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous nation, has a high rate of road accidents, often attributed to poorly maintained roads and vehicles.
