No fewer than 20 young athletes from Kano State have lost their lives in a deadly road accident that happened on Saturday evening. The tragic crash took place at Dakatsalle Bridge in Kura Local Government Area of Kano State. The victims were part of the Kano contingent who had just returned from the National Sports Festival held in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
According to early reports, the accident involved a bus carrying 30 athletes. The bus reportedly fell off a bridge, killing most of the passengers on board instantly. Many others were left with serious injuries.
Chairman of the Kano State Sports Commission, Umar Fagge, confirmed the heartbreaking incident. He noted that the bus had been transporting the athletes back home after the conclusion of the event. Fagge said, “As I am talking to you now, we have counted 19 dead bodies.” He added that the injured athletes were quickly taken to nearby hospitals for urgent treatment.
The cause of the accident remains unclear, but it is believed the driver may have lost control before the bus fell from the bridge. Ado Salisu, a former Vice President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), also spoke on the tragedy. He noted that efforts were ongoing to move victims to Kura General Hospital for medical attention.
Meanwhile, Abdullahi Labaran, the Public Relations Officer for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Kano, confirmed the incident. However, he stated that they were still gathering more information. “We just received the report of the accident, so, I cannot confirm the exact number of casualties at the moment,” Labaran said.
