The death toll of a road accident which occurred on Friday in western Niger rose to 22, the Nigerien Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation said on Saturday.

The accident occurred when two passenger buses collided on the Maradi-Madaoua road, about 55 km from the city of Madaoua. 

Of the total number of people who died, 17 were military servicemen. Some 37 other people were injured.

An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the crash.

The road accident occurred as the Nigerien authorities were stepping up road safety awareness campaigns amid frequent traffic accidents in the country.

More than 7,100 road accidents were recorded in Niger in 2025, killing more than 1,200 people and seriously injuring more than 4,400 others.