A bus transporting journalists, who are in Côte d’Ivoire for the 32nd edition of the African Cup of Nations (CAF), was involved in a road accident early this Wednesday, January 24, 2024. The incident left two people seriously injured.
The African Cup of Nations (CAN) 2023 has been ongoing for a few days in Côte d’Ivoire, captivating football fans across the continent. A group of on-site journalists has been providing real-time updates to enthusiasts worldwide. Unfortunately, tragedy struck this cadre of media persons early this Wednesday morning.
Specifically, a bus carrying about fifty journalists met with an accident on the road near Abidjan in the early hours of January 24, 2024. These journalists were returning from Yamoussoukro after covering the Guinea-Senegal (0-2) and Angola-Burkina Faso (2-0) matches that took place hours earlier at the Stade Charles-Konan-Banny.
According to reports, the bus that veered off the road came to a stop against the wall of a warehouse.
Two Seriously Injured
A few hours after the incident, the local organizing committee of the CAN (COCAN) provided more details in a statement. “We regret to inform that the convoy of journalists covering the CAN 2023 was involved in a tragic bus accident while returning from Yamoussoukro to Abidjan around 2 a.m. Thankfully, most of those aboard suffered minor injuries. However, there are two serious injuries, the driver and the conductor. The latter, whose foot was trapped, was successfully rescued and freed from the bus. The injured were urgently transported to the University Hospital Center (CHU) of Treichville to receive the necessary care. We are in close contact with the medical authorities to monitor their health status accurately,” stated the organization. According to some witnesses, the driver was traveling at excessive speed.
