A traffic accident in Senegal today, Sunday at 3:15 local time, caused the death of at least forty people following a collision of two buses near the city of Kaffrine, located about 250 kilometers southeast of the capital Dakar, according to the national service of ambulance and firefighting personnel.

A government statement explained that the head-on collision resulted, according to a new provisional toll, in "the death of 40 people, 36 seriously injured, and 49 others with minor injuries." An earlier toll issued by firefighters and the public prosecutor had reported 38 deaths.

The victims were then taken to Kaffrine Hospital, the debris of the two buses was removed, and the road became passable again, according to the firefighting service.

Senegalese President Macky Sall, "who was deeply saddened by this tragic traffic accident," decided to declare a "three-day national mourning starting Monday." He is expected to go to the site later accompanied by the Prime Minister and several ministers.

A ministerial council will be held on Monday "to take strict measures regarding traffic safety and public passenger transport," according to the head of state.

Also concerning the circumstances of the incident, the prosecutor in the Kaolack area explained saying, "According to initial investigation elements... a bus designated for public passenger transport veered off its path after one of its tires exploded before colliding with the front of another bus coming from the opposite direction."

In a tweet, Ousmane Sonko, one of the most prominent Senegalese opposition figures and the presidential candidate in 2024, indicated that he postponed a fundraising event due to the accident and called on the authorities to "give utmost importance" to the lack of road safety, "which is a plague with catastrophic human, social, and economic repercussions on the country" located in West Africa.