RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Two bus crashes in separate locations in Morocco have claimed 27 lives, including those of a German and a Dutch tourist, reported the state news agency Tuesday.
One bus flipped over on the highway Monday evening as it traveled between the Atlantic coast tourist destinations of Essaouira and Agadir in the south of the country, killing 17 people. The Dutch and German foreign ministries confirmed their citizens were among the dead. The two dead tourists were both women
Morocco is a popular tourist destination among Europeans, especially its coastal resorts on the Atlantic.
Earlier on Monday, a bus speeding on mountainous roads along the Mediterranean crashed outside the city of Nador, killing 10 people and injuring 33 others. The dead included three women and a young girl.
According to the U.S. State Department website, traffic accidents are a "significant hazard" in Morocco.
Although there are modern highways between the main cities, the rest of the country is served by two lane roads, often in poor condition and reckless driving habits, such as overtaking on curves, are quite common.
According to the World Health Organization, some 5,217 people died in 2010 from road accidents. New stricter laws have been put in place, however, to make up for historically light enforcement of traffic rules.
