Buses in ruins after dozens killed in Senegal highway accident

At the least 38 folks have died and scores have been injured when two buses collided close to the city of Kaffrine in central Senegal on Sunday, based on the president and the fireplace companies.

In response to the “grave” accident, President Macky Sall introduced three days of nationwide mourning starting Monday.

In a tweet Sunday he additionally mentioned there had been 40 deaths and “many severe accidents”.

“I’m deeply saddened by the tragic highway accident,” he mentioned on Twitter.

“I lengthen my heartfelt condolences to the households of the victims and want a speedy restoration to the injured.”

The Senegalese prosecutor mentioned in a separate assertion that 38 folks had been killed.

Public prosecutor, Cheikh Dieng, mentioned that early investigations instructed that the accident was precipitated when “a bus assigned to the general public transport of passengers, following the bursting of a tyre, left its trajectory earlier than colliding head-on with one other bus coming in the wrong way.”

Colonel Cheikh Fall, who’s in command of operations for the West African nation’s Nationwide Fireplace Brigade, had earlier advised AFP that 38 folks had died and 87 have been injured within the accident.

The accident came about round 3.15 am native time (0315 GMT) Sunday morning, Fall advised AFP, including that every one the victims have been evacuated to a hospital and medical centre in Kaffrine.

The wreckage and demolished buses have since been cleared and regular visitors has already resumed on the highway, he mentioned.

The governor and native officers have already visited the scene, he added.

President Sall mentioned after the interval of nationwide mourning completed, a authorities council can be held to “take agency measures on highway security”.

Highway accidents are frequent in Senegal, largely due to driver indiscipline, poor roads and decrepit autos, say consultants.

Nevertheless this is without doubt one of the heaviest dying tolls from a single incident in recent times.

In October 2020, a minimum of 16 folks have been killed and 15 extra injured when a bus collided with a refrigerated lorry in western Senegal.

The bus, with a 60-seat capability, was heading to Rosso close to the border with Mauritania, the fireplace brigade mentioned, including that the variety of folks onboard was unknown.

Native media mentioned on the time that the truck was hauling fish to Dakar.