16 Dead, Four Injured in Kaduna Auto Crash

John Shiklam in Kaduna

Sixteen people have reportedly died while four others were seriously injured yesterday in a motor accident on the Kano-Zaria highway at about 11:30am.

The passenger bus, which took off from Kano, was heading to Markudi, Benue State, when it crashed at Taban Sani Junction, Tashar Yari on the Zaria-Kano expressway.  The Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission FRSC), Kabir Nadabo, in charge of Kaduna State, confirmed the unfortunate incident in a statement.

Nadabo said the lone accident was attributed to over speeding, as the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a ditch.

He said the corpses of the deceased were deposited at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Shika -Zaria, alongside the passenger manifest to help identify and reach their families.

The sector commander added that the injured were conveyed to the General Hospital in Makarfi, Kaduna State.

The statement read: “There was a tragic road traffic crash involving a Toyota bus with registration number: TRB 674ZG 35XB, traveling from Kano State to Makurdi, which occurred at Taban Sani Junction, Tashar Yari on the Zaria-Kano expressway, on January 21, at 11:20hrs.

“The accident was a lone one caused by over speeding, where the driver lost control of the vehicle and rammed into a ditch.

‘’An initial investigation of the crash revealed that 20 people were involved, four were injured. Sadly, 16 people lost their lives.

“The injured were conveyed to Makarfi General Hospital for immediate treatment while the deceased were deposited at ABU Teaching Hospital, Shika in Zaria along with the passenger manifest to help in identifying the deceased as well as reaching out to their families respectively.”

Nadabo said as the lead agency in transport management and road safety, the FRSC is saddened by the unfortunate but avoidable incident.

He said the FRSC in Kaduna State would continue to perform its statutory duty of saving lives and property, as well as creating awareness about the dangers of unethical road culture.

Nadabo called on stakeholders, particularly the transport unions, to reach and advocate the language of safety to their drivers.