A tragic auto crash at Gaya junction along the Kano-Maiduguri road has reportedly claimed the lives of no less than 11 individuals, leaving 16 others injured.
The Kano State FRSC Sector Commander, Ibrahim Sallau-Abdullahi, confirmed the sad development in a statement issued on Saturday by the Command’s spokesperson, Abdullahi Labaran.
According to the statement, the collision involved two vehicles: a Toyota Hummer bus registered as KTG 190 XB and a Hijet mini pickup registered as KTG 501 YG.
Naijaonpoint learnt that one person was rescued unharmed from the tragic accident.
“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 accident was attributed to speeding and loss of control by the sector commander, resulting in a head-on collision that caused two vehicles to burst into flames instantly.
“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 expressed regret over the incident and stressed the significance of adhering to road safety regulations. He called on drivers to avoid breaking traffic laws, including speeding and overloading vehicles with passengers, animals, or goods.
Abdullahi further recommended that commercial drivers equip their vehicles with speed limit devices to prevent accidents caused by exceeding speed limits.
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.”
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