No fewer than 11 persons lost their lives while 16 others were injured, with one person rescued unhurt in an auto crash at Gaya junction along the Kano-Maiduguri road.
The Kano State FRSC Sector Commander, Ibrahim Sallau-Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement issued by the Command’s spokesperson, Abdullahi Labaran, on Saturday in Kano.
He said that the accident involved two vehicles: a Toyota Hummer bus with registration number KTG 190 XB and a Hijet mini pickup with registration number KTG 501 YG.
“We received a call at about 3:45 p.m. on April 19, 2024. On receiving the information, we quickly dispatched our personnel and vehicle to the scene of the incident to rescue the victims at 3:55 p.m.,” Abdullahi said.
The sector commander said that the accident occurred as a result of speeding and loss of control, which led to a head-on collision as two vehicles burst into flames immediately.
“The accident involved a total of 28 passengers in the two vehicles, out of whom 11 lost their lives while 16 others sustained serious injuries, one rescued unhurt.
“The injured were taken to Gaya General Hospital for urgent medical treatment, while the corpses were respectfully laid to rest in a mass burial ceremony,” Abdullahi said.
The sector commander, who lamented the occurrence of the incident, emphasized the importance of compliance with road safety rules and regulations.
He urged drivers to refrain from committing traffic offences such as speed violations and overloading vehicles with passengers, animals, or goods.
Abdullahi also advised commercial drivers to install speed limit devices on their vehicles to avoid crashes resulting from speed limit violations.
He said that the command was committed to ensuring the safety of road users,vowing, “We will intensify efforts to enforce traffic regulations to prevent similar incidents in the future.” (NAN)