ANTANANARIVO, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed and nine others seriously injured after a bus hit several pedestrians on Tuesday in the Ambohidahy Tunnel in downtown Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar.
The casualty figures were confirmed by the Minister of Public Health, the Minister of Transport and Meteorology, and the Minister of Industrialization and Private Sector Development, who were present at the hospital where all the victims were treated after receiving first aid, according to information obtained at the scene.
Antananarivo Police Prefect Vonjy Andriasy said that the accident occurred at around 14H30 local time (11H30 GMT) on Tuesday, when the bus, which reportedly suffered a brake system failure, hit several pedestrians on the sidewalk inside the tunnel.
He also said that the exact circumstances of the accident remained to be determined and that an investigation would establish the precise causes of the mechanical failure and any possible liabilities.
The bus was immediately impounded after police conducted their initial investigations at the scene, he added. ■