Bus and truck collide in Ivory Coast, leaving at least 15 dead and 23 injured

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast — A crash involving a freight truck and a passenger bus in Ivory Coast on Tuesday killed at least 15 people and injured 23 more, authorities said.

The two vehicles collided in Ponan-Ouinlo, a village in the west of the country, the National Office for Civil Protection said in a post on Facebook without giving any details as to the cause.

The passenger bus was carrying 70 people. Photos from the scene posted by the emergency services showed the damaged bus, its roof completely caved in.

“The civil firefighters of Guémon”, the region where the crash took place, “are on the scene to care for the victims”, the National Office for Civil Protection said.

Crashes are common in the west African country due to dilapidated roads and reckless driving, killing over 1,000 people annually, according to the transportation ministry.

Last month, 26 people were killed and at least 28 others injured when two minibuses crashed into each other and burst into flames.

Last year, authorities introduced a point-based driver’s license, granting each driver a total of 12 points that can be gradually taken away depending on violations committed. Cameras were also set up on the country’s main roads to fine offenders.