At least 40 dead, dozens injured in Senegal bus crash

Vehicle accidents are common in Senegal due to poor roads and a lack of adherence to rules, locals said.

Published: January 8, 2023 9:04am

Updated: January 8, 2023 9:16am

At least 40 people have died and dozens more were injured after two buses collided in Senegal, the West African nation's president said Sunday.

"I am deeply saddened by today's tragic road accident 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," President Macky Sall tweeted, as translated.

At least 78 people are injured, some of them seriously, officials said. Sall declared three days of mourning, starting Monday, and pledged to hold a meeting on transportation safety.

A tire on a public bus was punctured on National Road No. 1 around 3:30 a.m., causing the vehicle to veer across the road and collide with an oncoming bus, public prosecutor Cheikh Dieng said, The Associated Press reported.

Vehicle accidents are common in Senegal due to poor roads and a lack of adherence to rules, locals told the wire service.