Rabat – Following traffic jams on Morocco’s highways after the suspension of travel from and to eight major Moroccan cities, the Ministry of Transport recorded 199 traffic accidents on July 26 and 27.
The 48 hours accident count resulted in a total of 15 fatalities and 313 injuries.
On July 26, the ministry recorded 96 car accidents, resulting in nine fatalities and 165 injuries, including 19 in severe injuries.
Meanwhile, the July 27 accident count reached 103, resulting in six fatalities and 148 injuries, including seven people who were left in critical conditions.
However, the ministry declared in a press release today, July 29, that the numbers do not significantly differ from the recorded data during the same period in previous years.
The daily rates for the month of July 2019 indicate 82 traffic accidents, resulting in 7 deaths, 12 severe injuries, and 127 light injuries, according to the ministry.
The rates also reached 84 traffic accidents, resulting in eight deaths, 18 severe injuries, and 132 minor injuries on average, during the month of July between 2015 and 2019.
The government faced harsh criticism following the sudden decision to close f eight Moroccan cities to travellers.
Moroccans expressed their anger and frustration on social media, sharing photos and videos of the accidents.
Among the protesters, Moroccan journalist, Rachid El Belghiti who wrote about the accident he had on July 26, as he was heading to the Moroccan capital of Rabat, “I was with my family, we had an infant among us… The government almost killed us,” he wrote.
“I was able to stop safely, unlike some other cars. However, 10 seconds later, a young driver came at a reckless speed and hit the back of my car, sending the infant’s seat upside down,” the journalist recalled.
Who takes responsibility?
Without mentioning deaths or injuries that resulted from traffic accidents, the head of the government, Saad Eddine El Othmani, declared yesterday in a Facebook post, that he bears responsibility for the decision to suspend movement to and from eight major Moroccan cities.
El Othmani added that the rest of the government shares the responsibility.
“More difficult decisions can be made in the future, if necessary, God forbid, and we [might] return to the first quarantine [phase] if we have to,” said the head of government.
The July 26 decision by the ministries of interior and health, concerns the cities of Tangier, Tetouan, Fez, Meknes, Casablanca, Berrechid, Settat, and Marrakech, following a significant increase in the number of COVID-19 infections in these areas.
On July 25, Morocco recorded 811 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily count since the start of the outbreak.
