Senegalese President Macky Sall on Sunday declared three days of mourning starting on Monday after at least 40 people lost their lives and dozens got injured in a collision between two buses in the central part of the country, reported Reuters.
The accident happened in Gnivy village, near the town of Kaffrine, about 220 kilometres south-east of the capital Dakar, at about 3:30 am local (0330 GMT) on Sunday.
“I am deeply saddened by the tragic road accident today in Gniby causing 40 deaths and many serious injuries. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” Senegalese President Sall wrote on Twitter.
He said he will hold an inter-ministerial council on January 9, Monday, to discuss road safety measures. He added that after the period of national mourning is over, a government council will be held to take necessary measures on road safety.
Public prosecutor Cheikh Dieng said the accident happened on National Road No. 1 when a public bus punctured a tire and swerved across the road, colliding with another bus coming from the opposite direction. He said at least 78 people are injured some of them seriously who were taken to a Senegalese hospital and a medical center for treatment.
Road accidents are common in the West African nation, largely because of driver indiscipline, poor roads, and decrepit vehicles, say experts. However, this is one of the heaviest death tolls from a single incident in recent years.
In October 2020, at least 16 people were killed and 15 more injured when a bus crashed with a refrigerated lorry in western Senegal.
In 2017, at least 25 people were killed when two buses also collided. Many of those people were heading toward the central town of Touba for the annual Muslim pilgrimage.
