In a devastating update, authorities in Benin have confirmed that the death toll from last weekend’s fatal bus plunge into the Oueme River has risen to 37, after rescuers retrieved 10 additional bodies on Wednesday.
According to the Director of Civil Protection, Abdel Aziz Bio Djibril, search operations remain ongoing, with six passengers still unaccounted for.
“On the first day, 27 bodies were recovered, and on the second day, another 10, bringing the total to 37,” Bio Djibril told AFP, adding that efforts continue to locate survivors or retrieve the remaining victims.
Nine survivors were rescued on Sunday and remain in stable condition at a nearby hospital. The ill-fated bus, operated by STM Transport Company, had departed from Lomé, Togo, carrying 52 passengers before plunging off a bridge into the river during a night journey between Saturday and Sunday.
The crash occurred along Interstate 2, a vital route linking Benin’s economic capital, Cotonou, to Malanville on the northern border with Niger.
Authorities noted that the passenger list included not only Beninese nationals but also Nigeriens and other foreign citizens.
The tragedy comes amid ongoing border tensions between Benin and Niger, which have disrupted official crossings for nearly two years. As a result, many Nigerien travelers attempting to reach Niamey are forced to disembark at Malanville and cross the frontier informally.
This incident, one of the deadliest in recent memory on Benin’s highways, has further underscored concerns about road safety and cross-border travel risks in the region.
