ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) -At least 71 people died in Ethiopia when a truck packed with passengers plunged into a river, according to the spokesperson for the southern Sidama regional government and a statement.

The death toll from a road accident in southern Ethiopia has risen to at least 71 after a vehicle carrying a wedding party veered into a river, a local official said on Monday. The lorry careered into the water at around 5.

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