Rabat – Morocco’s Head of Government, Saad Eddine El Othmani, expressed his regret and dismay at the incident that ended the lives of six people and left 15 injured at a manned railway crossing near the Beni Makada district in Tangier, last Saturday.
El Othmani declared that the tragedy “brings the issue of traffic accidents to the surface and reminds us of the need to take necessary precautions and measures to reduce them and their victims.”
In this regard, the Prime Minister highlighted the objectives of the National Road Safety Strategy, which extends from 2017 to 2026, and the subjects of the five-year integrated strategic road safety plan, which aims to reduce the number of victims and fatalities of traffic accidents by 25 percent by 2021 and 50 percent by 2026.
The head of government invited all the concerned parties, both civil and professional, to be vigilant in order to ensure comprehensive contributions to save citizens’ lives. “This is our responsibility and I call everyone to cooperate so that we can progress in this endeavor. Through joint support cooperation, and hand in hand, we hope to progress and achieve positive results,” he said.
El Othmani also praised King Mohammed VI’s dynamic response to this incident. After offering his condolences to the families of the victims and taking charge of the funeral and burial expenses, as well as medical care for those injured, King Mohammed VI ordered the Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Equipment and Transport to set up a joint commission to investigate the crash, in addition to the investigation launched by the general prosecutor.
The results of these investigations will allegedly lead to the dismissal of several senior officials at the Moroccan National Railway Office (ONCF). A well-informed source told Akhbar Al Yaoum, “The arrangement of retributions will not stop at the weakest link in the list of duties, it will involve big heads from different positions.”
