Twenty individuals lost their lives when two minivans crashed in southern Ivory Coast over the weekend, officials reported on Monday.
Additionally, 11 others sustained injuries in the incident, which occurred on Sunday evening approximately 20 kilometres from the city of Gagnoa, according to the Civil Protection Service (ONPC).
The preliminary death toll was verified by the health facility in the village of Ahziabre, where the accident happened it stated.
Deadly road accidents are common in Ivory Coast, attributed to the poor conditions of certain roads and vehicles and drivers who have not completed their driving tests.
On average, between 1,000 and 1,500 people die each year in traffic incidents in Ivory Coast, where roughly 1.5 million vehicles are on the road, based on information from the transport ministry.
Just last September, 13 individuals were fatally burned in a collision involving a car and a tanker in the northern region.
In recent years, the government has implemented several measures to decrease fatal accidents, including introducing points on drivers’ licenses, prohibiting the import of vehicles older than five years, performing road maintenance, and installing video cameras.
