Senegal road accident kills 19, wounds 24 - president

Nineteen people were killed and 24 wounded in a road accident in Senegal, President Macky Sall has said, the second major crash this month highlighting poor driving conditions in the West African country.

Early on Monday's accident took place between the northern towns of Saint-Louis and Louga, Sall said on Twitter without providing further detail.

"This highlights the need to strengthen road safety measures. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Speedy recovery to the injured," Sall said.

The incident occurred after the tyre of a passenger bus burst, sending it into the path of another bus coming in the opposite direction.

It followed a crash that killed 40 people and wounded about 80 near the southeastern town of Kaffrine on January 8, one of the deadliest in Senegal's recent memory.

The government has banned night buses and outlawed the import of used tyres – the suspected cause of the accident.

READ MORE: Senegal in national mourning after bus accident kills dozens

Road accidents

The accidents spurred anger about dangerous driving conditions in Senegal, where overloaded and run-down trucks, buses and taxis hurtle down narrow two-lane highways riddled with potholes.

Road accidents are frequent in Senegal, mainly because of driver error, poor roads and decrepit vehicles, say experts.

According to the World Bank, Senegal, a country of 17 million, records 24 road deaths for every 100,000 inhabitants.

By comparison, the toll is six per 100,000 across the European Union and two in Switzerland, while the average across sub-Saharan Africa is 27.