Head-on collision between bus full of young athletes and truck kills 33 in southern Morocco

RABAT, Morocco – A fiery head-on collision between a semi-trailer truck and a bus carrying a delegation of young athletes in southern Morocco on Friday killed 33 people and injured seven, according to the state news agency and local media reports.

The news agency quoted authorities saying the crash took place just before sunrise at 7 a.m. Friday in the district of Chbika, near the southern desert city of Tan-Tan.

A video posted by the French-language economic daily L’Economiste shows the flaming wreckage of the tour bus, which caught fire after hitting what the newspaper identified as a tanker truck carrying hydrocarbons. People wander around the burning hulk in a bleak desert landscape.

The official MAP news agency said two of the nine initially listed as injured died, raising the death toll to 33.

According to details provided by the Le360.ma news site, the bus was carrying young athletes and officials from the Ministry of Youth and Sports that were involved in a national sports competition.

Les Inspirations Eco, a newspaper, reported on its website that the athletes were from the northern town of Bouznika and from Laayoune, a city further to the south in the annexed Western Sahara territory. It added that celebrated 10-kilometre runner Hassan Issengar, 31, was among the dead.

According to the U.S. State Department website, traffic accidents are a “significant hazard” in Morocco.

Although there are modern highways between the main cities, the rest of the country is served by two lane roads, often in poor condition. Reckless driving habits, such as overtaking on curves, are common.