(Abidjan) Thirteen people died “burned” in a collision between a passenger coach and a tanker truck in Ivory Coast, where fatal accidents are frequent despite a recent tightening of road safety rules.
The accident took place on Friday around 11 p.m. (local time) on the A3 motorway which links Bouaké and Korhogo, the two major cities in northern Ivory Coast.
The “devastating” collision occurred between the transport bus and a tanker truck “heavily loaded with fuel” that was coming in the opposite direction, the road having been narrowed by “a goods truck, parked without any signage”, indicates Police Secours, an alert platform that records fatal accidents in the country.
“The collision between the bus and the tanker truck triggered a fire of frightening intensity,” said Police Secours, indicating a “still heavy provisional toll” of “13 charred bodies.”
The report was confirmed by the Ivorian Press Agency (AIP).
45 injured people, including 19 children, were also evacuated to hospitals in the neighbouring towns of Katiola and Niakara.
As in many African countries, fatal accidents are frequent in Ivory Coast due to the poor condition of certain roads and many vehicles as well as the incivility of drivers.
Many drivers also hold purchased licenses without ever having attended a driving school.
At the end of July, ten people died in Béoumi, near Bouaké, in a collision between a public transport vehicle and a parked goods transport trailer truck.
Points-based license
Between 1,000 and 1,500 people are killed on average each year on the roads of Côte d’Ivoire, according to the Ministry of Transport, for 1.5 million vehicles in circulation.
In comparison, France – which is not the best student in Europe – records between 3,000 and 3,500 deaths on average each year, for nearly 39 million vehicles, according to official figures.
In recent years, Côte d’Ivoire has taken a series of measures to reduce fatal accidents.
Besides road renovation, the main challenge was the renewal of the vehicle fleet, with accidents regularly involving antediluvian, poorly maintained or overloaded buses or trucks.
A decree that came into force in 2018 now prohibits imports of vehicles over 5 years old into Côte d’Ivoire.
The number of cars that have reached the end of their life in Europe and are living a second life in Africa has largely decreased in Abidjan, replaced by small, affordable new Japanese cars. But many old buses and trucks continue to crisscross the country, sometimes from neighbouring countries.
Ivory Coast also introduced a points-based license in 2023. Each driver holding a license has a capital of 12 points which can be gradually withdrawn depending on the offenses.
Numerous cameras have also been set up on the country’s main roads to fine offenders.
With this new arsenal, Ivory Coast hopes to reduce the number of deaths on its roads by 50% by 2025.