13 killed in road accident in Cote d'Ivoire

A road accident involving a minibus carrying Christian pilgrims left 13 people dead Thursday night in Cote d'Ivoire's Central-Western region of Oume, Xinhua reported Friday.

Eyewitnesses said the Christians coming from the neighbouring region of Divo where other Christians had gathered for prayers died after their vehicle plunged in a pothole.

The driver of the vehicle running at a high speed lost control after the minibus hit a tree.

The accident also left some others injured, most of whom were rushed to the nearby hospital by rescuers.

In Cote d'Ivoire, careless driving and the poor state of roads constitute major causes of accidents.

Official sources say human errors cause 94 percent of road accidents in the West African country.

Statistics from the National Road Safety Office indicate that each year, the country records an average 6,000 accidents that leave at least 600 people dead and 13,000 others injured.