In a devastating incident on Tuesday, Mali witnessed the loss of thirty-one lives and left ten others wounded as a bus en route to Burkina Faso veered off a bridge in the country’s southeast, as confirmed by the Transport Ministry.
The tragic event occurred around 5:00 pm (1700 GMT) at a bridge spanning the Bagoe River, sending shockwaves through the community.
According to the ministry’s statement, the bus, which departed from the Kenieba commune bound for Burkina Faso, tragically lost control and toppled off the bridge, leading to the fatal outcome.
Automobile accidents remain a sobering reality in Mali, where inadequate infrastructure and vehicle conditions contribute to frequent incidents on the roads.
This grim incident follows closely on the heels of another tragedy earlier this month, wherein fifteen lives were lost, and forty-six individuals sustained injuries in a collision between a bus and a truck in central Mali, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced road safety measures and infrastructure improvements.
As Mali mourns the loss of lives and grapples with the aftermath of yet another road tragedy, efforts to bolster road safety and infrastructure must be prioritized to prevent such heart-wrenching incidents from recurring in the future.