Fifteen people died Saturday when a minibus collided with a truck in central Ivory Coast, Transport Minister Amadou Koné said Sunday.

“On Saturday around 19:00 (local time; 21:00 Greek time) there was a serious traffic accident (…) between the cities of Katiola and Bouake,” the minister explained in a press release he issued.

“The accident, which left 15 people dead and several injured, once again plunged our country into mourning, involving a minibus and a truck with goods that were immobilized,” added Mr. Kone.

Fatal traffic accidents are frequent in the African country due to the poor condition of the road network and the large number of vehicles, as well as the dangerous driving style of some drivers.

Few motorists have bought a driver’s license never going to driving school.

Since March 1, a rating system for drivers has been introduced in Côte d’Ivoire. Each driver’s license holder is initially awarded 12 points, which, however, can be deducted depending on traffic violations.

Between 1,000 and 1,500 people die on the roads of Côte d’Ivoire every year, according to the Ministry of Transport.

Source: RES-IPE