Addis Ababa - Saba:
Ethiopian authorities announced today the death of at least 71 people in a traffic accident after the truck they were riding in fell into a river in the south of the country.
Mate Mengesha, the local official for the region, told the Voice of America Horn of Africa service that the accident occurred in the Galana River, in the eastern Sidama region, south of the capital, Addis Ababa, indicating that among the victims were 68 men and three women.
He reported that a truck carrying passengers lost control while passing over a bridge and fell into the Galana River, noting that the victims included young people from the same region who were returning from a wedding and a work site.
For his part, Ashenafi Blisso, director of Pona Hospital, confirmed the number of deaths, noting that four people were seriously injured and were receiving treatment in the hospital.
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