At least seven people have lost their lives, while over 40 others sustained various degrees of injuries after a heavy-duty truck experienced brake failure, lost control and overturned beneath the Muhammadu Buhari Bridge in Nassarawa local government area of Kano State.
The truck was reportedly heading to Lagos State from Takai local government area of Kano State when the accident occurred at midnight on Thursday. Witnesses said it was carrying about 70 passengers along with livestock.
An eyewitness, Shu’aibu Hamisu, said the truck lost control while coming from Maiduguri Road, attempting to navigate the underpass that connects to the Ring Road and Zaria highway. “The trailer slipped inside the underpass,” he said, adding that some victims were rescued while others died on the spot.
The ward head of Karsha Gabas in Takai LGA, Alhaji Saleh Karsha, visited the scene of the accident early Friday morning. He identified the bodies of five victims, including that of his son, Baban Jummai, which has been released to him.
He confirmed that the death toll had risen to seven, while more than 40 injured victims were receiving treatment at various hospitals.
Personnel from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Police, and the Kano State Road Traffic Agency (KAROTA) arrived at the scene for rescue operations, evacuating the injured to Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital and Mallam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital.
LEADERSHIP reports that similar accidents involving trailers have occurred at the same spot multiple times in the past year. The vehicles involved are often trucks transporting livestock, food items, and passengers from the North to the Southern part of the country.
