ABIDJAN, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- At least 26 people were killed and 28 others injured in a road accident Friday afternoon on the Issia-Daloa axis, western Cote d'Ivoire, according to a statement from the Ivorian Ministry of Transport.
The statement said that the tragedy happened near the village of Brokoua when one of two passenger minibusses' tires burst, leading to the collision of the two vehicles.
The injured were evacuated to the Issia General Hospital, about 357 km from Abidjan, the economic hub of Cote d'Ivoire. A team from the ministry was dispatched to the scene and an investigation was launched "to shed full light on the circumstances of the accident and its heavy human and material toll," read the statement.
On average, between 1,000 and 1,500 people die each year in road accidents in Cote d'Ivoire, where there are about 1.5 million vehicles on the road, according to the Ministry of Transport.
The main causes of road accidents in Cote d'Ivoire are poor driving practices, especially speeding, incivility and carelessness, as well as poor road conditions and faulty vehicles.
In recent years, the Ivorian government has introduced some measures aimed at reducing the number of fatal accidents, including the addition of points to drivers' licenses, a ban on the import of cars older than five years, road maintenance and the installation of video cameras. ■
