NEMA confirms 23 killed In Kano-Zaria truck accident

At least 23 people were killed in an accident along Kano-Zaria road, the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has said.

The agency said 58 people were also injured in the Friday accident involving a truck loaded with firewood.

Musa Ilallah, the North-West zonal coordinator of the agency, said ton Sunday that he accident occurred after the truck’s tyre burst before it lost control and skidded into the bush.

Mr. Ilallah said some of the dead victims were killed by other speeding vehicles trying to escape the truck.

He said the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, ABUTH, received 58 injured people among whom 23 are in intensive care.

Another 23 victims were brought to the hospital dead, he said.

He said the rest of the patients were treated for minor injuries and have been discharged.

“Barely 24 hours after the accident, NEMA on Saturday promptly responded to an appeal by ABU Teaching hospital, Shika, Zaria to come to its aid with drugs and other medical needs and consumables to compliment its attendance to the overwhelming accident.

He added that drugs worth millions of naira were subsequently donated to the hospital.

The zonal coordinator, during a visit to some of the critically injured in the intensive care unit of the hospital, expressed satisfaction over the way they were being taken care of by the hospital authorities.

The chairman of the hospital’s Medical Advisory Council, Adamu Ahmed, expressed appreciation to NEMA for the prompt response to their medical needs and consumables.

Some survivors who spoke to our reporter, however said, many of those who died were asleep when the accident occurred near Tashan Yari.

“The loud sound of the tyre burst killed many of those sleeping who jumped off the bus and were crushed by speeding vehicles,” Bello Dorayi, one of the survivors who escaped with a minor injury, said.