A tragic road accident in northern Nigeria claimed 23 lives late Thursday when a truck overturned in Kano, officials confirmed Friday.
The truck, heavily loaded with passengers and goods, lost control before plunging into an underpass in the Hotoro district on the city’s outskirts, according to Abdullahi Labaran, spokesperson for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Kano.
Authorities revealed that the vehicle was traveling from Maiduguri in the northeast toward Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub in the southwest, before the fatal crash occurred.
“Total fatalities stand at 23, while 48 other passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries,” Labaran stated, attributing the accident to reckless driving and excessive speed.
Nigeria’s roads, often poorly maintained, are notorious for high accident rates, with many crashes linked to speeding and disregard for traffic regulations.
According to official FRSC data, the country recorded 9,570 road accidents last year, resulting in 5,421 deaths, highlighting a persistent road safety crisis.