A road accident on the Marrakech-Casablanca highway killed one man this morning, February 18, and injured 35 passengers, including seven who sustained serious injuries.
The accident occurred near Berrechid, 40 kilometers south of Casablanca, after an intercity bus collided with a heavy truck.
Photos shared by local newspapers show that the bus hit the rear of the truck at a high speed. The truck deviated from the road, while the front of the bus was fully destroyed.
The bus driver died on the spot, while passengers sustained injuries of varying degrees. Local reports have not mentioned the condition of the truck’s driver.
Civil protection services transferred 28 injured passengers to the provincial hospital in Berrechid. Meanwhile, the seven severely-injured victims were transferred to the university hospital in Casablanca.
Based on preliminary investigations, local authorities believe the accident occurred due to the heavy fog that obstructed the driver’s view in the early morning hours. An in-depth investigation is ongoing to determine all the causes of the accident.
Read also: 12 Dead After Bus Overturns on Mountainous Road Near Morocco’s Agadir
The accident occurred on the same day Morocco celebrates its national road safety day, seeking to raise awareness about the issue.
Morocco launched a national road safety strategy in 2017 with the main goal of reducing road fatalities. The strategy seeks to reduce the number of yearly traffic accident deaths below 1,900 by 2026.
Over the last decade, approximately 3,500 people lost their lives and 12,000 sustained severe injuries in road accidents in Morocco each year. On average, Moroccan roads recorded 10 deaths and 33 serious injuries per day.
To achieve the objective, the Moroccan government has integrated road safety education in schools and regularly organizes awareness campaigns for various categories of people.
The Ministry of Transport also pledged to mobilize the necessary financial resources to maintain existing roads and build new ones, as part of the national road safety strategy.
