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At Least 23 Killed in Senegal Road Accident

At least 23 people were killed in a collision between a bus and a truck in the center of Senegal on Tuesday morning, the fire department and local media said.

"It was a collision between a 35-seat bus and a truck transporting charcoal above the village of Sikilo," an official from the fire department told Agence France Presse.

He said 22 people were killed and one injured, however later reports by the Senegalese Press Agency said the death toll had risen to 23 with dozens injured.

The fire department official said the accident took place at about 3:00 am (local and GMT) near the town of Kaffrine, without giving details on what caused the crash.

"An accident with so many deaths is rare in Senegal, the last which had a high toll was six months ago, at least 15 people died" in northern Senegal.

Road accidents in Senegal are often a result of poor driving skills, and the bad state of vehicles and roads.

Several campaigns have been held to raise awareness about road safety in recent years.

Source: Agence France Presse


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