Thio Tragedy: 26 victims of the STM bus buried in Savè
The tragedy that occurred on the night of August 16 to 17, 2025, on the Ouémé River bridge in Thio, continues to plunge many families into mourning. According to Le Matinal, twenty-six victims of the STM bus accident were buried on Tuesday, August 19, in Savè, after their identification at the hospital’s morgue.
The burial was conducted in accordance with Islamic rites. The funeral ceremony brought together several Nigerian and Beninese personalities, among them the Ambassador of Niger to Benin, Chaïbou Kadade, and the President of the High Council of Nigeriens, El Hadj Idrissou Garba Amadou a.k.a Idi Saboula, accompanied by members of his office. Beninese authorities and several hundred Nigerians residing in Benin were also present to pay a solemn tribute to the deceased.
The burial prayer was led by Imam Idrissou Boukary, President of the Islamic Union of Benin, before the burial in the Muslim cemetery in Savè. The bodies that will be identified later will also be buried under the same conditions.
In their speeches, Ambassador Chaïbou Kadade, President Idi Saboula, and Imam Boukary prayed for the repose of the souls and expressed their gratitude to the Beninese authorities for their constant support in managing this tragedy.
The Beninese government, which mobilized significant resources to retrieve the bus and recover the bodies, continues the search. Six passengers are still listed as missing.
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