Ethiopia continues to struggle with severe road safety challenges and hazardous infrastructure.
Police have confirmed that an overcrowded bus crashed in northern Ethiopia, resulting in at least 31 fatalities and leaving dozens of others injured.
The incident occurred early Monday morning as the vehicle was traveling toward the capital, Addis Ababa. The bus, which had departed from the town of Dessie in the Amhara region, veered off the road and plunged roughly 100 meters (330 feet) into a ravine.
The accident took place on the forest-lined, winding mountainous route known as Harego. Social media images from the scene depict the vehicle completely demolished and scattered across the hillside.
Reporting from the Associated Press indicates that a lack of immediate medical intervention contributed to the death toll. Due to inadequate infrastructure and a scarcity of ambulance services, many victims were forced to seek medical help on their own, causing treatable injuries to become fatal.
Ethiopia ranks among the most dangerous countries globally for road travel, with official statistics showing a steady decline in road safety. Between 2007 and 2018, traffic-related deaths more than doubled. A United Nations report highlighted that the absence of proper road markings and traffic signage creates significant risks for motorists.
This tragedy follows a pattern of severe accidents in the region; in December 2024, 71 people perished when a truck plunged into a river in the southern Sidama region.
