At least 16 people have died and 51 others were injured following a serious road accident in northern Ivory Coast on Sunday morning, the country’s transport ministry has confirmed.
The crash, which occurred at around 6:00am local time (0600 GMT), involved a passenger bus and a truck fitted with a crane. The bus was en route from the southern city of San Pedro to Ouagadougou, the capital of neighbouring Burkina Faso, when the collision took place.
Authorities have not yet released further details on the cause of the crash, but initial reports suggest it was a high-impact collision.
Deadly road accidents are all too common in Ivory Coast and across much of Africa, often due to poor road infrastructure, ageing or unroadworthy vehicles, and reckless driving.
An investigation into the crash is expected to be launched as officials seek to determine what led to the tragedy.
