At least 47 people, including 10 children and a newly-wed couple, have been killed in a traffic accident north of Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo, according to police.
The incident took place early on Saturday when a truck carrying wedding guests deviated off the road and plunged into a river outside the town of Anjozorobe.
Police spokesperson Herilala Andrianatisaona told AFP news agency on Sunday that at least 22 people were also injured in the accident.
The police have blamed the driver for carrying too many passengers on a truck that is only meant to transport goods.
“According to our hypothesis, the truck driver, cognisant of the offence he was committing, which was transporting too many passengers in a vehicle meant for carrying goods, drove fast to escape traffic police checks,” Andrianatisaona said.
“The driver lost control of his vehicle after having negotiated a wrong turn and ended up in the Mananara river,” he said.
The truck was reportedly transporting guests who were celebrating a wedding a day earlier.
The island nation off the south-east coast of Africa has a population of about 24 million people.
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