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At least 71 people have died in southern Ethiopia after a lorry plunged into a river, officials say.<\/p>\n
The vehicle, which was travelling through Sidama state on Sunday, fell into the river after it missed a bridge, a local official told the Reuters news agency.<\/p>\n
Wosenyeleh Simion said many of the passengers had been guests at a wedding party.<\/p>\n
Traffic police in the region reported the lorry was overloaded, which was likely to have caused the incident, Mr Simion said. Further investigations are under way. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Of the people known to have died, 68 were men and 3 were women, the Sidama Police Commission Traffic Prevention and Control Directorate said.<\/p>\n
Blurred images shared on Facebook by the state health bureau show a group of people attempting to pull a damaged vehicle from a body of water in the district of Bona.<\/p>\n
Other images shared by the bureau appear to show bodies, some covered in blue tarpaulin, lying on the ground.<\/p>\n
Thousands of people are killed every year in road accidents in Ethiopia, with over-speeding and disregard for traffic laws often blamed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n