Pa, Balé Province – Following a severe road accident on the afternoon of January 20 in Pa, located in the province of Balé, local administrative, security, and health authorities rapidly mobilized to provide immediate aid to victims, express sympathy to bereaved families, and offer reassurance to the traumatized population and passengers.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the accident occurred at the western exit of PS, leaving a distressing impact on the local population. Many rushed to the site to assist the victims and passengers of the stopped vehicles. The violent collision between two transport trucks traveling in opposite directions resulted in six immediate fatalities, with vehicle parts scattered and twisted metal wreckage evidencing the crash’s intensity. The initial aftermath was marked by shock and disbelief among onlookers, with many finding the scene too harrowing to comprehend.

Two days after the accident, the toll was grave: 35 victims, including 10 fatalities and 16 severely injured. Rescue efforts were promptly initiated by the PS gendarmerie brigade and a fire company from Boromo, who secured the site and evacuated the injured to medical facilities in PS and Boromo. Health workers in these areas swiftly administered first aid to control bleeding and alleviate pain from injuries.

Ibrahim Boly, the high commissioner of the Balé province, along with his team, visited the injured at Boromo hospital, expressing the province’s solidarity and compassion. He commended the local population’s spirit of solidarity and the efforts of health workers, firefighters, and security forces. On the morning of January 21, the high commissioner and a delegation from the Boucle du Mouhoun region attended the funerals of the victims, with four being buried near the accident site after prayers.

The Ministry of Transport and Road Safety sent representatives, including the director-general of ONASER and the regional director of Boucle du Mouhoun, to convey condolences to the victims’ families. As the town of PS, a critical crossroads, gradually recovers from this shock, the memory of the tragic event continues to dominate local discussions, indicating a lasting impact on the community’s psyche.