This is the deadliest accident of recent years in Senegal.
Thirty-eight people were killed and 87 injured in a collision between two buses, firefighters said on Sunday January 8.
The accident took place overnight from Saturday to Sunday, at 3:15 a.m. local time (1:15 a.m. GMT), near the town of Kaffrine, about 250 km southeast of the capital Dakar, according to a press release from National Fire Brigade.
Two buses collided near the town of Sikolo, in the #kaffrine region, killing at least 38 people and injuring around a hundred #PressAfrik#Senegal#accident #kebetu pic.twitter.com/omUt1XXHyi
— Salif Sakhanokho (@salifsakhanokho) January 8, 2023
The victims were transported to Kaffrine hospital, the carcasses of the buses cleared and the road reopened to traffic, according to the firefighters.
The governor and the prefect went to the scene.
Bus accidents are frequent in Africa, due to poor vehicle maintenance, bad roads but also driving errors, many motorists being holders of permits bought from corrupt inspectors, without having ever attended driving school.
Last week, at least fourteen people were killed in Côte d'Ivoire and 73 injured in a collision between two buses in Yamoussoukro and 18 people died in a collision between two vehicles in northern Nigeria.
With AFP
The summary of the
France 24 week invites you to come back to the news that marked the week
I subscribe
Take international news everywhere with you!
Download the France 24 app