Yahoo News 40 People Killed and Dozens More Injured in Senegal Bus Crash
CHEIKH DIENG/AFP via Getty
At least 40 people were killed and several more injured in a deadly crash in Senegal on Sunday, according to the country's president, Macky Sall.
The country's public prosecutor Cheikh Dieng said one of the tires on a public bus got punctured, sending the bus careening across Senegal's National Road No.1 where it crashed into another bus coming the opposite way, per AP News. Dieng said the accident left at least 78 people injured at the scene.
Sall confirmed on Twitter that the incident happened at 3:30 a.m. in the Gniby village area, located in the Kaffrine region.
"I am deeply saddened by the tragic road accident today in Gniby, causing 40 deaths and many serious injuries," Sall tweeted. "I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to the injured."
Suite au grave accident de ce jour à Gniby ayant causé 40 morts, j’ai décidé d’un deuil national de 3 jours à compter du 9 janvier. Un conseil interministériel se tiendra à la même date pour la prise de mesures fermes sur la sécurité routière et le transport public des voyageurs.
— Macky Sall (@Macky_Sall) January 8, 2023
Sall said in a tweet that the nation will enter a mourning period of three days following the accident, and he will convene an inter-ministerial council "to take firm measures on road safety and public passenger transport."
RELATED: School Bus Driver Dies After Students Steer Bus to Safety During Medical Emergency
Images released of the crash show just how devastating the head-on collision was, with the front of both buses nearly entirely crushed. Debris from the buses can also be seen scattered all over the road.
According to the BBC and AP News, traffic accidents routinely happen in the country due to poor roads and road rules not being followed, but this accident is one of the deadliest over the past few years.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
A separate bus accident near the Kenya-Uganda border on the same day left 21 people dead and dozens more injured, per the BBC. A spokesperson for the Ugandan regional police told AFP that it appears that the accident was due to the driver losing control of the vehicle and veering off the road.
