A truck carrying a wedding party sank in an Ethiopian river, killing at least 66 people according to the hospital director

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — At least 66 people were killed after a truck fell into a river in southern Ethiopia, a hospital director said on Monday. The accident occurred on Sunday when an old, overcrowded truck rented by wedding guests fell onto the Gilan Bridge, where villagers said traffic accidents had happened before.

The medical director of Buna General Hospital in the southern Sidama region, Lemma Lajide, told The Associated Press on Monday that 64 people died at the site and two more at the hospital.

He said those patients who needed more advanced critical care were transferred to a larger hospital in Hawassa.

Delays in rescue efforts in the remote village were blamed for the high death toll. Villagers said they tried to rescue people from the raging river with sticks.

One villager, Sirak Boko, told the AP that moments before the accident, music was blaring from the truck and people in suits were dancing and waving.

It is common for people in rural areas of Ethiopia to rent trucks instead of buses to take them to social events such as weddings because they are less expensive and carry a large number of people. Most of those on board the truck were men because they were culturally required to accompany the bride from her home to the groom’s home.

Fasil Atara, a resident, said, “The area always witnesses frequent accidents around the river due to poor construction,” referring to the road that lacks speed bumps or warnings.

With abandoned infrastructure and crowded public transportation, Ethiopia has witnessed similar incidents in the past. In August, 38 people died after a bus overturned in the Amhara region.