Road accidents on the surge in African countries
Many African countries have started recording a surge in road carnages as families mourn the deaths of relatives.
At least 16 people have been killed in an accident on Friday in the Ugandan capital of Kampala.
The accident occurred when a passenger bus rammed into a stationary vehicle on Uganda’s highway that links the capital to the northern town of Gulu.
Police say 12 people died on the spot while four others died later at a hospital. Several other travellers on the bus were injured.
The lorry was said to have been parked and loading cargo about a kilometre from Kamdini Corner – a popular stopover and checkpoint in the north of the country.
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A total of 104 road accidents had been recorded between December 30 and January 1. At least 35 people were killed in these road crashes alone.
Road accidents have been a long-running crisis in Uganda. Traffic police registered over 4,000 crashes across Uganda in 2021, many of them fatal.
Ivory Coast crashes
In Ivory Coast also at least 14 people died with dozens others sustaining injuries on Thursday after two buses collided on the outskirts of Ivory Coast’s capital, Yamoussoukro.
The victims who died were nine men and five women, while more than 70 were injured and were taken to hospitals.
One of the buses was carrying mourners including foreigners heading to a funeral of a woman who had died in Europe, the Ivorian press agency reported.
In a statement posted on Facebook, the Ivorian transport minister expressed condolences to the families of the deceased.
The ministry also called on motorists and road users to be more vigilant to avoid such accidents.
Deadly road accidents are common in the West African country amid poorly maintained roads and vehicles. Driver errors also often contribute to the accidents.
Analysts have expressed worry over the spate of road accidents especially over the festive season.
Source: Africafeeds.com
