The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Boromo

At least 66 people died Saturday when a bus and a truck collided and caught fire in Burkina Faso in one of West Africa's worst road accidents, the country's transport minister said.

"We lament 96 victims, of whom 66 have died," Gilbert Noel Ouedraogo said. "Of the 66, 55 bodies were completely charred. There are 30 injured admitted in hospital."

He said that there were Ivorian nationals aboard the bus, which was registered in Ivory Coast and owned by an Ivorian company Ba Issa Transport.

"For the nationalities of the victims, it is difficult to say. There are Ivorians, there are Burkinabes. But we have only been able to identify 10 people. With the 55 charred bodies identification is very difficult."

Early indications suggested that the driver of the truck might have fallen asleep at the wheel.

Earlier court prosecutor Maiza Compaore told AFP by telephone from the site of the accident near Boromo, 167 kilometres (105 miles) west of the capital Ouagadougou, that the two vehicles caught fire.

"The scene is gruesome t there are bodies on the road, some are in the wreckage, there are charred bodies which are still being removed. It's really horrible."

The impact of the crash had forced the bus off the road. All that remained of the two vehicles were burnt-out shells.