Benin: A bus accident results in one death, 9 survivors, and 44 missing in the Ouémé River
A serious traffic accident occurred on the night of Saturday, August 16, to Sunday, August 17, 2025, on Interstate Route No. 2, at the crossing bridge of the Ouémé River, in the town of Glazoué. A bus from the company STM, registered in Mali and carrying 54 passengers, plunged into the river. The provisional toll reports one death, nine survivors, and forty-four missing.
SUMMARY
According to the official statement signed by the Minister of the Interior of Benin, Alassane Seïdou, the bus, coming from Lomé and heading to Niamey, hit the bridge railing violently before ending its course at the bottom of the river. The driver is said to have lost control of the vehicle around midnight.
Emergency response mobilized and an alarming initial toll
Upon news of the tragedy, the President of the Republic ordered the deployment of the ORSEC plan. The law enforcement, civil protection, firefighters, medical teams as well as local authorities were mobilized to rescue the passengers, evacuate the injured, and search for the missing.
At the current stage of the operations, nine passengers have been pulled out alive and brought to the area hospital in Savè where their condition is considered stable. One lifeless body has been recovered and taken to the morgue of the same hospital, while 44 passengers are still missing, according to figures communicated by the Minister.
At the scene of the tragedy, Alassane Seïdou was accompanied by the Director General of the Republican Police, the Director General of the Beninese Civil Protection Agency, the Prefect of Collines, and the Departmental Directors of Health and Living Conditions.
Call for caution and message of solidarity
The government has offered its condolences to the deceased’s family and expressed its solidarity with the victims and their relatives. “Efforts are underway to find the missing and clarify the circumstances of this unfortunate event”, reassured the Minister of Interior and Public Security.
He also issued an urgent appeal to national and international transport companies and drivers to strictly respect the traffic regulations in order to reduce the risk of fatal accidents on the country’s roads.
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