20110807
Reuters
ABIDJAN (Reuters) - A bus plunged into the lagoon in Ivory Coast's commercial capital Abidjan on Friday morning, killing 37 of its 47 passengers, a government spokeswoman said.


Witnesses and rescuers at the scene of the accident said the bus smashed into two cars on a bridge stretching over the lagoon and was sent hurtling over the edge.

"I heard a 'boom' and when I looked around, the bus had gone over the edge and was slowly sinking into the water," Issiaka Sangare, a military guard told Reuters, adding that he was walking home over the bridge at the time.

State TV showed images of President Alassane Ouattara and Prime Minister Guillaume Soro at the scene of the crash, shortly after it happened.

A government spokeswoman said by telephone that of the 37 killed, 22 were men and 15 women. Nine victims were being treated for injuries in hospital and another one had been discharged.