Twenty-three people died and 36 were injured in a bus accident on Wednesday east of Casablanca, one of the deadliest traffic dramas in Morocco in recent years, according to a report by regional health authorities.
According to the latest report, 23 passengers died in the accident and another 36 were injured, Dr. Rochdi Kaddar, regional director of Health, said at night.
The coach served as a connection between Casablanca and the rural region of Aït Aatab, near the city of Beni Mellal, at the foot of the High Atlas. The injured were evacuated to Khouribga provincial hospital and an investigation was launched.
More than 3,000 road deaths each year
The coach is a means of transport widely used by Moroccans, especially the more modest ones who cannot afford a car, to get around rural and isolated areas. Traffic accidents are very frequent and often fatal in the Maghreb, where the roads are reputed to be among the most dangerous in the world.
In Morocco they cause an average of almost 3,500 deaths and 12,000 serious injuries each year, an average of 10 deaths and 33 serious injuries per day, according to statistics from the National Road Safety Agency (NARSA).
However, the Moroccan authorities have launched a series of measures to try to combat the scourge of road insecurity after the worst bus accident in the country’s history in 2012 (42 deaths).
Source: BFM TV
