A tragic accident in central Benin on Sunday, August 17, has left one person dead and 44 missing after a passenger bus (STM Company) carrying 54 people veered off a bridge and plunged into the Oueme River.
The vehicle, which was travelling from Lomé in Togo to Niamey in Niger, lost control when the driver struck a bridge guardrail, according to Interior and Public Security Minister Alassane Seidou.
Authorities have launched a national emergency response, deploying rescue teams and resources to the site. Nine survivors, reported to be in stable condition, have been hospitalised. The Beninese government has expressed condolences to the bereaved families and pledged to intensify efforts to locate the missing and establish the exact cause of the accident.