Dozens Dead After Truck Carrying Wedding Guests Plunges Into River

Dozens died in Ethiopia after a truck carrying wedding guests plunged into a river, officials said.

Why It Matters

The crash happened on Sunday when an aging, overcrowded truck carrying wedding guests plunged off the Gelan Bridge, a site locals have long warned is prone to traffic accidents.

In rural Ethiopia, trucks are often hired as a cost-effective alternative to buses for transporting large groups to social events such as weddings. Most of the passengers aboard the truck were men, following a cultural tradition that requires them to escort the bride from her family’s home to the groom’s residence.

Ethiopia’s inadequate infrastructure and overcrowded public transportation systems have contributed to a history of deadly accidents. In August, a bus rollover in the Amhara region claimed the lives of 38 people.

What To Know

Lemma Lagide, the medical director at Bona General Hospital in Ethiopia’s southern Sidama region, confirmed Monday that 64 people were pronounced dead at the scene, with two more succumbing to their injuries after being admitted to the hospital.

Patients requiring advanced critical care were transferred to a larger medical facility in Hawassa, according to Lagide. Rescue efforts in the remote village faced significant delays, which locals said contributed to the high death toll. Villagers described using only sticks in their desperate attempts to pull victims from the fast-moving river.

Serak Boko, a local resident, told The Associated Press that just moments before the crash, music blared from the truck as passengers dressed in suits danced and waved in celebration.

Similar Incidents

Last month, a bus carrying wedding guests crashed into a river in Pakistan, leaving at least 18 individuals dead.

The accident took place in the mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan region as the bus traveled toward Chakwal, a city located in Pakistan’s Punjab province, government spokesperson Faizullah Farqan reported. Known for its rugged terrain and challenging road conditions, the area often presents hazards for long-distance travel.

“The President’s expression of deep grief over the loss of precious lives in the accident,” the Secretariat of Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, wrote at the time in a translated post on X, formerly Twitter.

The messaged added: “The President’s emphasis on the need to speed up the relief operations. The President expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased. In this hour of sorrow, my sympathies are with the heirs of the deceased.”

What People Are Saying

Resident Fasil Atara said to The Assorted Press: “The area always has regular accidents around the river as it is poorly constructed.”

What’s Next

It is currently unclear if officials in Ethiopia will release further information on the investigation into the crash.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.