BAMAKO — Thirty-one people have died after a bus flipped over and plunged off a bridge in Mali on Tuesday.

The bus had been en route to neighboring Burkina Faso from the Malian town of Kenieba when it veered off a bridge crossing the Bagoe river.

At least ten others were injured — some suffering serious injuries.

Local officials said the likely cause was "the driver's failure to control the vehicle".

The accident happened at around 17:00 local time (17:00 GMT).

"A bus... that was leaving Kenieba commune for Burkina Faso tipped off a bridge. The likely cause is the driver losing control of the vehicle," the transport ministry said in a statement.

It added that the victims included Malians and citizens from other regions in West Africa.

Road accidents are common in Mali because of the poor condition of many roads and vehicles, as well as overloaded and poorly regulated public transportation.

Earlier this month, 15 people were killed and 46 were injured after a bus heading towards the capital Bamako collided with a truck, according to AFP news agency. — BBC