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Five killed, several injured in Gambia fatal road accident

Xinhua, September 3, 2015 Adjust font size:

At least five people were killed in a fatal road accident involving a 20-seater passenger van and a commercial vehicle along Banjul-Serekunda highway and the Central River region village of Sare Modou Bah junction, police confirmed to Xinhua Wednesday.

Several other passengers sustained serious injuries and have been taken either to a local hospital or the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in the country's capital of Banjul.

"We have launched an intensive investigation to establish the cause of the frequent fatal road accidents, but preliminary reports indicate the driver may have been overspeeding," said a police officer who did not want to be identified.

The accident comes just hours after two people died in another road mishap in the same region, police said.

Police spokesperson Lamin Njie said overspeeding and careless driving are the main causes of road accidents in the country, especially during heavy downpours.

Police are now strictly enforcing the Motor Traffic Act and national laws and regulations on road traffic, as well as implementing campaigns to educate both drivers and other road users about the dangers and safe practices on the road. Endi