A bus crash in Kaduna has claimed the lives of at least 25 children, leaving 31 injured. The accident occurred in the North Western State on Sunday, according to AFP.
The speeding bus which conveyed Muslim faithful, who were celebrating the birth of Prophet Mohammed, lost control and crashed into a truck in Lere district, Kabiru Nadabo, head of the local office of Nigeria’s road safety agency, FRSC, said.
“The bus was overloaded with 63 children and the driver was speeding recklessly when he lost control and rammed into an articulated truck,” Nadabo said.
“Fifteen of them died on the spot while 48 injured were taken to various hospitals, among which ten died the following day, raising the death toll to 25,” he said.
Nadabo added that the children were from Kwandare village and were heading to Saminaka, a nearby town, for the annual Maulud festivities.
He stated that the death toll could rise as the injured were hospitalised and he did not get further details.
On the contrary, Dikko Dahiru, one of the organisers of the trip, said the crash claimed the lives of 40 children and 31 were injured.
“The bus was carrying 71 passengers and 36 died instantly while four more died in hospital the next day,” said Dahiru, whose nephew was among the dead.
“Thirty-one were taken to hospitals with severe injuries, 11 of them in critical condition,” he said.
Road crashes frequently occur on Nigeria’s inadequately maintained roads because of excessive speeding and failure to adhere to traffic regulations.