On Sunday, a truck carrying dozens of wedding party-goers drove off a bridge and fell into the river below, killing over 70 people.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Local authorities, per the Associated Press, reported that the overcrowded truck full of wedding guests fell off the Gelan Bridge in Ethiopia. This is a hot spot for motor accidents.
A witness told the outlet that the truck was playing music and the suited passengers were dancing and waving. The commotion possibly affected the driver's control. According to the BBC, at least 71 have died. Local traffic police believe that overloading the truck caused it to crash. An investigation is underway.
The status of the bride and groom is unknown. Considering Ethiopian culture, it's possible the bride and groom weren't on the truck yet.
As reported by the AP, a common tradition in Ethiopia is for men to escort the bride to the groom's house. As there has been no word on the bride's or groom's condition, it's likely they were traveling to the bride's house.
In line with tradition, most of the passengers were men. With only three female passengers, 68 of the casualties were men.
Pictures Shared Of The Horrific Incident
Sidama National Regional State Health Bureau
shared photos of the recovery effort on Facebook. Dozens can be seen gathered around the wreckage in the river, trying to use ropes to keep it in place.They wrote, "It is confirmed that 4 of the passengers were treated at Bona General Hospital and 2 of the injured are being treated at Hawassa Referral Hospital."
The truck in the photos makes it hard to believe that so many dozens of people were present. The overcrowding and commotion will likely have been enough to cause the driver to lose control of the bridge.
It's common for people to hire trucks for transport as they are cheaper, and can hold many people.
The AP also reported that so many died due to delays in rescue efforts. Villagers tried to respond themselves, using sticks to rescue victims trapped in the river.
The incident occurred in a rural part of Ethiopia, likely making it a challenging spot for first responders.
