An overcrowded bus veered off a mountainous road in northern Ethiopia and plunged into a 100-meter (330-foot) deep ravine, killing at least 31 people and injuring dozens more, police confirmed Monday.

The accident occurred early Monday on the zigzagging Harego road, surrounded by forests, as the bus traveled from Dessie in the Amhara region to the capital, Addis Ababa. Images on social media showed the severely damaged bus broken apart and lying on a hillside.

According to the Associated Press, several victims died because they received medical attention too late. Poor infrastructure and a lack of ambulance services forced the injured to make their own way to treatment centers, worsening their injuries.

Ethiopia has some of the world's most dangerous roads. Official statistics show road traffic deaths more than doubled between 2007 and 2018. A United Nations report cited a lack of traffic signage and road markings as significant safety risks.

In December 2024, 71 people were killed when a truck they were traveling in fell into a river in the southern Sidama region. The latest crash underscores the ongoing crisis of road safety in the East African nation.

Source: www.aljazeera.com