Appalling accident in Ethiopia: a truck falls into a ravine, killing 71 people
Sylvie Claire / January 1, 2025
A serious road accident claimed 70 lives in Ethiopia on Sunday. The Isuzu vehicle, a Japanese manufacturer known for its utility vehicles, “fell into the ravine of the Gelana River”, the police said in a statement late Sunday evening, citing regional police commissioner Daniel Sankura.
Daniel Sankura stated that 68 men and 3 women lost their lives in the accident, and 2 other people were seriously injured.
The Sidama State Health Office had stated on Facebook on Sunday that “a road accident had claimed the lives of 66 people so far”, without giving further details. The Sidama region lies around 300 km south of the capital Addis Ababa.
Blurred images released by the Health Bureau show numerous people surrounding a vehicle, partially submerged in water. Other images shared by the Bureau appear to show bodies on the ground, covered in blue tarpaulins.
The office expressed its condolences to the victims' families and said that further information would be provided as soon as it was received.