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29 March 2024

Bus accident kills 23 Angolan soccer fans

Published
By Reuters

Twenty-three fans of Angolan soccer club Kabuscorp were killed and 29 injured when their bus overturned on the road back to Luanda after an away match, state news agency Angop reported on Sunday.

The accident happened on Saturday in Kwanza Sul province after the fans had watched their team play in the country's top division at Libolo, about 600 kilometres (370 miles) southeast of Luanda, Angop said.

"I am distraught and sad. The place where the accident took place is very dangerous and the driver was young and he was probably speeding," said Kabuscorp president Bento Kangamba, quoted by Portuguese state news agency Lusa.

He said the bodies of the dead had been taken to Luanda, while the injured fans received treatment at hospitals in Kwanza Norte province. He did not give details on the severity of their injuries.

President Jose Eduardo dos Santos said in a statement that he was "deeply saddened" by the accident.

Angola has one of the highest traffic-related death tolls in the world. According to police, 3080 people died in 2010 due to road accidents, which are the second-biggest cause of death in the south-western African nation after malaria.

Kabuscorp received international attention in January when they signed forward Rivaldo, a Brazilian World Cup winner and former World Footballer of the Year.