Dozens killed after two minibuses collide in Ivory Coast

At least 26 people were killed and dozens injured on Friday in a crash between two minibuses in western Ivory Coast, the transport ministry has said.

The collision on the Daloa-Issia road left "26 killed, 10 of whom were burned, and 28 injured," Oumar Sacko, director general of land transport, said in a statement.

A ministry team was dispatched to the scene and an investigation was launched "to shed full light on the circumstances of the accident with its heavy human and material toll," the statement added.

Fatal road accidents are frequent in Ivory Coast, due to the poor state of some roads and vehicles, and to motorists who have not passed their driving test.

Last month, 20 people were killed in similar circumstances near the city of Gagnoa.

In September, 13 people were burned to death when a car and a tanker collided in the north.

Between 1,000 and 1,500 people die on average per year in traffic accidents in Ivory Coast, where there are around 1.5 million vehicles in circulation, according to the transport ministry.

In recent years, the government has introduced a series of measures to reduce fatal accidents, including points on drivers' licences, a ban on importing cars over five years old, road maintenance and video cameras.