Parakou: a zemidjan rider seriously injured after a tree branch fell in Alaga

A serious traffic accident occurred on Tuesday, February 10, in the Alaga neighborhood, the 1st arrondissement of Parakou.

A taxi-moto driver, commonly called zemidjan, was seriously injured after a tree branch collapsed onto his motorcycle as he was traveling with a female passenger.

The incident occurred in front of Saint-Joseph Catholic Church, as a strong wind, accompanied by a light rain and dust, swept the area. Under the inclement weather, a clearly weakened tree branch detached and fell on the two occupants of the vehicle.

According to the details from the head of the Alaga neighborhood, Dohou Claude, reported by Fraternité fm, the driver suffered a violent blow to the head, causing serious injuries. His passenger, also affected, came away with minor injuries and did not require an emergency evacuation.

Alerted, the Benin Civil Protection Agency quickly intervened to assist the main victim. The driver was then evacuated to a city hospital, where his health status remains concerning, according to the information gathered.

Following this tragedy, the neighborhood chief urged road users to exercise increased caution during inclement weather, notably recommending stopping travel in case of violent wind or heavy rain, in order to reduce the risk of accidents.