At least 37 killed after bus plunges from bridge in Ivory Coast

At least 37 killed after bus plunges from bridge in Ivory Coast

2011-08-06 19:14:44 GMT+7 (ICT)

ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST (BNO NEWS) – A crowded bus plunged from a bridge in the southern region of Ivory Coast on early Friday morning, state-run media reported on Saturday, killing at least 37 people.

The accident happened in Abidjan, the largest city of Ivory Coast, when the passenger bus drove off a bridge and fell into a lagoon below. It took hours before rescue workers were able to recover the submerged vehicle.

According to the state-run Agence Ivoirienne de Presse (AIP), at least 37 people were killed while 10 survivors were transported to a local hospital. But a statement from the UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) said at least 46 people were killed.

The statement said UN forces, which included three ambulances, two motorboats from the Bangladeshi component, special forces from its Jordanian contingent and a police unit, helped local authorities in the rescue and recovery operations after the accident.

Hours after the accident, at 2.30 p.m. local time on Friday, two passenger buses collided near the scene of the initial accident. AIP reported that at least 36 people were injured in the second accident, including one person who was seriously injured.

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara extended his condolences to the families of the victims and declared three days of mourning. The first day of mourning took place on Saturday, which is also the country's Independence Day.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy sent a letter to Ouattara to extend his condolences on behalf of the French people. "In these sad circumstances, I ask you Mr. President to please accept my sympathy and my personal feelings," Sarkozy said in the letter.

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