At least 31 including child athletes killed in Morocco bus crash

Middle East, News April 11, 2015 , by IRIA No Comments

The bus was packed with youngsters aged between 10 and 14 who were returning from a sports competition – a Moroccan athlete was also on board

RABAT, (Morocco) — More than 30 people have been killed in southern Morocco in a fiery head-on crash between a petrol tanker and a bus carrying young athletes .

At least 33 people, mostly children, died when the coach collided with the tanker, causing a huge explosion that engulfed both vehicles in flames, according to the state news agency and local media reports.

Nine people were injured and taken to hospital but two later died.

The crash took place just before sunrise on Friday in the district of Chbika, near the southern desert city of Tan-Tan.

Local media said that among the killed people are school children who were travelling with their coaches and were returning had been taking part in an athletics competition. “A majority of the victims are children aged eight to 14,” an official from the regional sports and youth ministry told.

One survivor said, “We were sleeping, most of us were sleeping. We heard the explosion, followed by the burning.”

Some reports said they were travelling from the capital, Rabat, to Laayoune, which is in the Western Sahara.

Reports said that celebrated 10-km runner Hassan Issengar, 31, was among the dead.

“A majority of the victims are children aged eight to 14,” a regional official from the sports and youth ministry told.

Road accidents have risen sharply in Morocco in recent years, with car ownership nearly doubling in the past 15 years.

An average of 10 people a day are killed in accidents on Morocco’s roads, according to official statistics.

Morocco’s Transport Ministry has indicated that the social costs relating to road deaths and accidents amounts to some 2.5 percent of the country’s GDP.