At least 71 people have died in Ethiopia after a truck packed with passengers plunged into a river, according to the spokesperson for the southern Sidama regional government and a statement.

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

At least 71 people were killed after a truck full of passengers plunged into a river in southern Ethiopia over the weekend. The truck fell into a river on Sunday evening in the Bona district of Sidama state, around 300km south of the capital Addis Ababa, the regional communication bureau said.