Thirty-seven people were killed and thirteen others injured on Monday August 1 in two road accidents in Côte d’Ivoire, near Abidjan and Yamoussoukro, military firefighters announced.
North of Abidjan, an accident involving a freight truck and a minibus caused “26 victims including 21 deaths“, according to the firefighters. South-west of the Ivorian capital, Yamoussoukro, the driver of a minibus lost control of his vehicle which fell into a ravine. balance sheet, “24 victims, including 16 deaths“, Indicates the Group of military firefighters (GSPM) on its Facebook page.
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General Issa Sacko, commander of the GSPM called for “prudenceduring this period of rainy season and long holidays in Côte d’Ivoire, in a statement to AFP. A year ago north of Abidjan, a tragedy similar to that of Monday occurred, killing 25 and injuring 31 after a collision between a coach and a minibus.
Road accidents are very numerous and most often fatal in Côte d’Ivoire, where many vehicles are poorly maintained and many roads are in poor condition. Accidents are also due to driving errors, many motorists being holders of licenses bought from corrupt inspectors, without having ever attended a driving school. There are more than 12,000 traffic accidents per year in Côte d’Ivoire, which constitute the leading cause of death among children and young people aged 5 to 29, according to the Ministry of Transport, which specifies that the average death rate on the road is 24 per thousand inhabitants.
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