A deadly vehicle collision this week in the West African nation of Mali has been blamed on bad weather and the chronically poor state of the roads.

Forty-one people were killed and 33 injured Tuesday when a passenger bus and a truck carrying agricultural goods collided in central Zambougou near the town of Segou.

Diadji Sacko, the head of the National Agency for Road Safety, told VOA’s  Bambara Service the accident occurred when one of the truck’s front tires blew out, causing it to crash into the passenger bus.

The tragedy has also been blamed on heavy rains that left already dangerous roads wet and slippery, plus excessive speed.

“Authorities need to find a solution to road accidents in Mali. Accidents kill more than coronavirus, malaria and every other disease,” said Rokya Coulibaly of Association of Families of Victims of Traffic Accidents. “There are too many funerals due to road accidents in Bamako. And there are too many people in Bamako who have a broken leg, who are handicapped and cannot take care of their families because of accidents.”

Traveling by road is still the principal means of transport for people and goods in the landlocked Sahel nation of 20 million.

Source: Voice of America