A bus carrying 64 passengers crashed into a ravine in Ethiopia's Amhara region on June 15, killing at least 28 people. The crash happened around 6:00 a.m. local time, according to Xinhua. Some reports say the death toll may be as high as 31. Local officials in Kombolcha City provided the initial passenger count and casualty figures.

The Amhara region is Ethiopia's second largest by population. It sits in a mountainous area with steep valleys and winding roads. Kombolcha is a trading center that lies on the main route between Addis Ababa, the capital, and the northeastern lowlands. Heavy trucks and long-distance buses travel these roads constantly. Early morning is a popular time for long trips because it's cooler, and drivers want to cross the mountain passes before the heat of the day sets in.

Ethiopia has one of the worst road safety records in sub-Saharan Africa. The problem is structural: the country has added far more vehicles to its roads over the last 20 years than it has improved its roads, trained its drivers, or strengthened its enforcement of traffic laws. Overloading — putting more passengers on a bus than it is designed to hold — is common on routes between cities. When a crash happens, overloading makes injuries and deaths worse. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether overloading played a role in this crash.

The broader context here matters. Buses that plunge into ravines tend to have high death rates because the vehicle is badly crushed and pulling people out takes a long time on remote mountain roads. How quickly local rescue teams can reach the crash site and get people to hospitals often decides who lives and who dies. We don't yet know those details for this crash.

What caused the bus to leave the road, who the passengers were, and exactly how many people survived are still unclear. Ethiopian authorities and rescue teams are continuing their operation, and officials are expected to release more information as they work.