Niger bus crash kills at least 22, most of them soldiers

At least 22 people have died, 17 of them soldiers, after two buses crashed into each other in southern Niger, the west African country's transport ministry said Saturday.

The accident, a head-on collision between two buses, happened on Friday night some 50 kilometres (35 miles) from the town of Madaoua, said the ministry statement.

Another 37 people were injured in the accident, it added.

Earlier Saturday, the country's official ANP news agency said one of the buses had been carrying soldiers and said an investigation into what caused the crash had been opened.

This latest incident comes as the authorities campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of road accidents, a frequent occurrence on the vast Sahel nation's roads.

In 2025, Niger recorded more than 7,000 road accidents which killed over 1,200 people and left more than 4,400 with serious injuries, according to the Nigerien Agency for Road Safety.

Speeding, drink-driving and the poor state of both the roads and cars remain the main causes of incidents.