Death toll rises to 71 in Southern Ethiopia road accident

A road accident in southern Ethiopia has left at least 71 dead, including 68 males and three females.

The death toll from a road accident in southern Ethiopia has risen to at least 71, according to a local police official.

At least 71 people have died in a vehicle accident in southern Ethiopia. (Unsplash/representational)

In a Facebook post late Sunday, the Sidama Police Commission Traffic Prevention and Control Directorate said that "68 males and three females are known to have died in the accident so far", citing Chief Inspector Daniel Sankura.

The police commission said the incident occurred at around 5:30 pm local time (1430 GMT) when the vehicle plunged off a road and into a river.

The post added that "two others have sustained heavy physical injuries", but did not detail any further information about the number of passengers onboard at the time of the incident.

The accident occurred in Sidama state -- some 300 kilometres (180 miles) south of the capital Addis Ababa -- in the Eastern Zone, in Bona Zuria Woreda.

Blurred images shared by the health bureau earlier showed a mass of people surrounding a vehicle, partially submerged in water, with many seemingly attempting to help pull it from the waters.

Other images shared by the bureau appeared to show bodies, some covered in blue tarpaulin, lying on the ground.

Road accidents are common in Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation, where roads are often poorly maintained.