Guinea traffic crash kills 15, including 10 children

The incident, which took place in the central-southern town of Mamou, occurred around 01:00 am local time (0100 GMT) on a curvy stretch of road, civil defence authorities said.

It involved a vehicle carrying 16 passengers, including young students travelling on holiday, which collided with a semi-trailer truck, the agency said.

"The Mamou regional hospital received 15 bodies following this accident", Houdy Bah, the regional health director for Mamou, told AFP.

The death toll includes five boys and five girls as well as five adults: three men and two women, he said, adding that all victims were from the Labe prefecture.

Only one survivor was identified and "evacuated in serious condition", the civil defence authorities said.

"I personally lost my brother's wife and three of his children in this tragedy. The other victims also belong to the same family," Oumar Rafiou Bah told AFP, speaking on behalf of the bereaved families.

"Given the condition of the bodies which were literally crushed by the truck repatriating them is impossible. We are therefore preparing to bury them here (in Mamou)," he added.

An investigation has been opened to determine the exact circumstances of the accident.

Serious road accidents are common in Guinea due to road deterioration, ageing vehicles and reckless driving, which can be further complicated by heavy rainfall.