The government of Senegal have announced three days of mourning following an accident where two buses collided on Sunday.
At least 38 people have been confirmed dead, with injured near the town of Kaffrine in central Senegal.
The president, Macky Sall, in response to the fatal accident, announced three days of national mourning beginning from Monday.
Sall said this via his verified Twitter handle on Sunday, as he also noted that there had been 40 deaths and “many serious injuries”.
“I am deeply saddened by the tragic road accident.
“I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” he added.
Public prosecutor, Cheikh Dieng, said that early investigations suggested that the accident was caused when “a bus assigned to the public transport of passengers, following the bursting of a tyre, left its trajectory before colliding head-on with another bus coming in the opposite direction.”
The accident reportedly took place around 3:15 am GMT on Sunday morning. AFP reported that all the victims have been evacuated to a hospital and medical centre in Kaffrine.
Sall said after the period of national mourning finished, a government council will be held to “take firm measures on road safety”.
