ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates and Qatar have offered condolences to the government and people of Morocco over the tragic bus accident, killing 24 people, Arab media reported on Sunday.
The incident occurred when a minibus transporting passengers to a weekly market in the town of Demnate, in the province of Azilal, overturned on a bend on Sunday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of the UAE, in a statement, has expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy to the Kingdom of Morocco and its people and the families of the victims of this tragedy.
#UAE expresses solidarity with #Morocco and offers condolences over victims of bus accidenthttps://t.co/IYv4ctjG6j
— MoFA وزارة الخارجية (@mofauae) August 6, 2023
UAE, Qatar Offer Condolences to Morocco over Tragic Bus Accident
Meanwhile, Deputy Amir of Qatar Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani has also sent a message of condolences to the King of Morocco on the loss of precious lives in the bus accident.
The mishap is one of the worst road accidents in Morocco’s history, prompting authorities to investigate the incident.
Morocco has been dealing with frequent road accidents, with the latest incident being a grim reminder of the dangers on its roads. In March, another tragic accident claimed the lives of 11 individuals, primarily agricultural workers, when their minibus crashed into a tree in the rural town of Brachoua.
The National Road Safety Agency in Morocco has reported an average of 3,500 road deaths and 12,000 injuries annually, equivalent to around 10 deaths per day. However, the figure for last year was slightly lower, at around 3,200 casualties.
In response to the alarming statistics, authorities have set a goal to halve the mortality rate by 2026, following a tragic bus accident in 2012 that claimed the lives of 42 people, the deadliest in the country’s history.
