At least seven people have been killed and 13 others seriously injured following a tragic road accident involving a passenger vehicle travelling to Freetown and a fuel tanker in Guinea.
The fatal crash occurred on Tuesday, July 7, along the Guinea section of the Gambia–Sierra Leone highway when a Gambian-registered commercial vehicle carrying 20 passengers collided with a fuel tanker in the outskirts of Conakry.
According to the General Transport Union (GTU) of The Gambia, the passenger vehicle had departed from Kanifing Municipality near Banjul and was en route to Freetown when the collision happened.
Authorities said seven people, including the driver of the passenger vehicle, died instantly at the scene. The remaining 13 passengers sustained serious injuries and are receiving treatment at hospitals in Guinea.
The GTU confirmed that two Gambian nationals, a man and a woman, were among the survivors and are currently undergoing medical care.
Following the accident, the union said it had begun working closely with the Gambian Consular Office in Guinea, Guinean transport authorities, and security agencies to coordinate assistance for the victims and their families.
The GTU also disclosed that one of its members, Pa Gaye, who was travelling through Guinea at the time, is assisting consular officials and local authorities with emergency response efforts at the crash site.
The Union said it is also working closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, the Ministry of Transport, and the Gambia Police Force to ensure assistance reaches those affected.
Expressing its condolences to the bereaved families, the GTU thanked the Gambian government and Guinean authorities for their swift response and appealed to commercial drivers to strictly observe road safety regulations, particularly on long-distance cross-border journeys.
The identities and nationalities of the deceased have not yet been officially released, and authorities are continuing investigations into the cause of the collision.
The accident highlights the dangers faced by commercial transport operators and passengers travelling along the busy highway linking The Gambia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone, a key regional route frequently used by cross-border traders and travelers.
